Focused on the Now
by XRaindropsX
Summary: When they were 12, Sakura would have done everything and anything to be with Sasuke. Now, years later, the situation is reversed and Sasuke is the one who wants Sakura. But, she now dispises him. How will he get her to like him again? SasuSaku and others
1. The Return

_Please review and tell me if you think I should continue. It was just a thought I have been playing with, and I want to know if you like it. Enjoy_

_Focused on the Now_

_1 The Return_

___**Then…Flashbacks**_

"_I like…" the young, pink-haired girl's emerald eyes darted to the indifferent hottie sitting next to her as Sakura Haruno giggled into her hands like a little kid. "My hobbies are…" Again she let loose one of her girlie little giggles. "My dream is…" Again she couldn't get anything out. "I hate Naruto!" Finally she had finished a sentence._

"_Sasuke, would you like to go train together?" Sakura tried yet again to get the boy of her dreams to do something with her, and since they were on the same team, it was a prime excuse to get some quality time with him._

"_No, you're annoying," the boy spat at her with no regards to her feelings as he pushed passed her and continued down the lonely road. _

"_Sasuke, please don't leave me," her eyes were filled with tears and no amount of blinking them back could stop the waterworks. "Take me with you!" she begged like a little kid, though she didn't care as long as she was with him. "I love you!" she professed her undying feelings for the young Uchiha boy. She cared not how childish she sounded. The only thing that mattered was him._

**Now- Age 20**

He stepped into the gates of Konoha again for the first time in years, though he had had many opportunities to come back. Time had changed nothing in the small village. Sure, the faces were older, but they were the same people.

After he was out of Orochimaru's clutches, Sasuke had traveled around and seent eh country, prolonging his visit back home. There was only one reason he came back, though he would tell no one what that was: HER.

Though his wardrobe had changed- he still loved the color blue- nothing else had. Sure he was now older, more mature, but he was the same underneath it all. He still had raven black hair that was a mess a top his head, yet was still incredibly HOT!, his onyx eyes still melted many a girl's heart, he was still a top ninja. He was now passed six foot. Six foot three to be exact.

Had she changed? Was she still hung up on him? Was her hair the same? Was pink still her favorite color? How long was her hair? What did she do now a days? Was she still the smartest ninja?

"Sasuke?" a feminine voice from his passed interrupted his thoughts, though it wasn't the female he wanted to hear.

Turning to great her, he found he hardly recognized her. "Ino Yamanaka?" she was clearly pregnant, the bump evident. She wore her hair down and around her face, though it was still blonde and long.

"It's Akimichi now. I married Choji about a year ago," she beamed proudly. Her face shone with glee and happiness.

Never in a million years would he have guessed she would have ended up with Choji. It never seemed likely, but whatever works for her.

"It's so good to see you again!" she smiled as she put her arm around his and drug him after her. "Come on. I'll bet you're dying to see the others. Our hangout hasn';t changed since you've been…gone. I was just on my over there actually…" she was the same over talkative, rambling Ino she had always been.

When she paused to take a breath, Sasuke cut in, "When are you due?"

"Oh, two months now if everything goes smoothly…" And she launched into another story without breaking stride. He shook his head. Only one other girl he knew could ramble about nothing as much as Ino: Sakura Haruno- the reason he was here in the first place.

The two stepped into the small ramen shop. Sweat collected at the base of Sasuke's neck since the little shop only worsened the heat. It was humid and muggy as well, not helping matters.

Sitting at the counter were eight of the, then, Genin he had grown up with. They all turned to face Sasuke and Ino as she called out a greeting. Hugging and handshakes ensued and everyone was happy to see him. Two of his friends were missing, he noticed right away.

"Good to see you again," Rock Lee shook Sasuke's hand firmly. His height was the only thing that changed. He was still the black, bowl cut haired, bushy browed, lanky, green jumpsuit wearing kid he had been at twelve. He looked more like Gai- sensei now than ever.

They all took a seat on a picnic bench in front of the shop. Deciding to give Sasuke the low down, they went around the table starting with Lee.

"I am now a Jonin. I teach Genin at the academy just as Gai-sensei had, teaching them the greatness of youth! I am flying solo as for my dating status," he nodded to Tenten when he was finished.

Tenten's hair was down and short, just above the shoulders. She wore a pink tank top and Bermuda shorts. "Well, I've been happily married to Neji for three years. We have a two year old daughter: Mae. I am a Jonin, but I am only called out in emergencies."

Neji's hair was still long, though shorter than it had been. He was taller than even Sasuke by a few inches. He was a spitting image of his father. "I'm an ANBU," Neji shrugged and turned to Choji.

Choji was still big, but he had filled out more when he grew a few inches. "I help out at the hospital." He nodded to his wife.

Ino smiled as she started, "I now own and run the flower shop, and as you know, I'm expecting in a couple of months."

Kiba, who was fairly short for a guy- a couple of inches shorter than Sasuke, replied, "I'm a vet, and I am dating this really hot chick from work." He grinned like only a guy could grin as he thought about his girl.

Hinata was next, but knowing she hated speaking in public, Naruto went for her. "Hinata and I have been married for four years. We have a three year old son, Hiro, and a one year old son, Akito. I am also an ANBU, and Hinata is a stay at home mom."

Naruto was now tall, handsome, and muscular. He had really come a long ways since the good old days. Hinata, though still shy, had grown up quite nicely.

"Oh, and Shikamaru married Temari. You remember her- Gaara of the sand's older sister. Their wedding solidified the alliance of the two villages. They married five years ago, and have two kids: a son: Toby, who's four years old, and a daughter: Suki, two years old," Ino explained.

Sasuke nodded, taking everything in. He was just glad everyone excepted h im again. He was happy no one held a grudge. He was still disappointed though. SHE was not here.

"Where's Sakura?" He just came right out and asked. He figured he'd never know otherwise, and he didn't want to put himself through that, always wondering, never knowing.

Everyone exchanged glances as if know what they'd say would not be what Sasuke wanted to hear before Naruto answered softly, "She, uh, moved away as soon as we graduated from school."

She couldn't believe she was back, back to the place she had run from so long ago. As soon as she had graduated from the academy, she had hightailed it out of that village like it was the plague. She had moved away to the sand village, where she had become fast friends with Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. She had hoped never to return to the Leaf Village.

But, as luck would have it, her mother had become very sick, so Sakura had returned to lend a hand. She was educated in medicine, and she had studied under Lady Tsunade for a few years before she graduated, so maybe she could help. As soon as her mother was better, Sakura didn't plan on sticking around.

The main reason she had left was to get away from HIM. He was the root of so much embarrassment and anguish. She wanted a clean slate, a fresh start. So, she moved someplace that no one really knew the real her. Sure, she missed Naruto and the others, but they all reminded her of Sasuke because they had all been friends.

When Sasuke had rejected her before he left her unconscious on a park bench all alone, Sakura's feelings of love turned to hate. She despised him; what kind of a human being could knock out their teammate, no matter how much that person didn't like them. It was no secret that Sasuke had never really liked Sakura, but they were teammates, and he had saved her life countless times before. Why then did he have to hurt her? Why would he just leave her there unconscious?

Sakura was different now. She was no longer that helpless, needy, infatuated little girl. She was now an educated, strong-willed, independent, mature adult. After moving to the Sand Village, Sakura had become a teacher at their academy, putting her skills to good use. But, just looking at her, no one would guess she was a school teacher. In her spare time, Temari was training her to get stronger, and it was working.

Sakura carried herself with finesse. She stood up straight, walked like she owned the world, though didn't act like she did, her head held high. Her pink hair was now mid-back in length and held layers that framed her face. She was tall at five foot eight, and she was still slim, weighing in at one hundred and twenty one pounds and three ounces.

Her attitude was different now. She still had a short fuse, but was learning to control it. She had the patience of a saint- she'd have to to deal with the little brats at the academy all day. She no longer had to depend on others; she could take care of herself. She had learned many forms of Tai-Jutsu.

Sighing, Sakura made her way to the market place of the village for supplies for her mother. Why wouldn't her mother just move to the Sand Village to be with her? It would have been so much simpler. Then, Sakura wouldn't have to worry about running into anyone from her so distant past.

Checking the list, Sakura headed into the nearest shop.

Exhaling a deep breath, Sasuke made his way through the bustling streets of Konoha. His whole trip back was in vain. His whole reason for coming back wasn't even here. She had run; probably from him. A pain shot through his heart. What was that feeling? He wondered as he clutched his chest. Love? There was no way. Dismissing the pain, he continued on.

He thought back to the conversation he had held with the other Genin:

"_Sakura left as soon as we graduated from the academy," Naruto had informed Sasuke attentively._

_Sasuke shook his head, "Wait, what? Where did she go? Why did she leave?" Sasuke couldn't imagine Sakura Haruno leaving her hometown, the place she grew up, leaving all her friends behind and not look back._

_Ino came around and put her arm around his shoulders like a best friend would do, not like a crazed stalker- like she used to do. "She moved to the Sand Village. She sends me letters, keeps in touch. She's made a lot of friends from the sounds of it. She never really gave a reason for her leaving. She just did, telling me it was something she needed to do."_

_Sasuke could tell Ino wasn't telling him everything, and it burned him on the inside. "Tell me why she really left." Sasuke was tired of beating around the bush. He wanted the truth._

_Everyone looked down. No one wanted to answer. They thought the ground was much more interesting than him._

"_Someone, tell me!" Sasuke shouted angrily. He could take it, no matter what it was, he could handle it. _

_Ino looked up. "She left because of you."_

Why did she leave because of him? Was it because he left her? She didn't seem like the kind of person who would hold a grudge for so long. What was the reason?

Sighing as he turning onto the market street, he thought he saw a pink head of hair. Blinking a few times, the person disappeared into a shop. Sasuke dashed after her. He only knew one person with pink hair.

Sakura wanted to go to the flower shop and at least let Ino know she was in town. Ino was her best friend. Sure, they had been arch rivals in middle school over Sasuke, but when he left, their bond grew. At first, they were only together to cry over Sasuke being gone, but over time, they got over him and started dating other guys from school. And, they had been inseparable. But, Sakura always knew she was going to leave, and Ino had accepted that.

As she opened the door, the little bell went off, signaling her entrance. Sakura strode up to the counter and rang the bell. She was a little disappointed when Ino's mother came in.

"Sakura, how have you been? I haven't seen you in awhile," Ino's mother smiled brightly as she tried to make conversation. She leaned against the counter ready for some gossip material.

Sakura wanted to roll her eyes. Ino's mom only ever wanted to know things to go and tell other people about it, usually exaggerating the story. "I've been good," Sakura answered. "I just stopped by to see Ino. Does she work today?"

"She worked this morning. She might come by later this afternoon," Mrs. Yamanaka informed Sakura standing up straight, knowing that Sakura wasn't going to talk much. "I'll tell her you came by."

"You don't have to do that. I'll go find her," Sakura shook her head as she turned around waving goodbye to Mrs. Yamanaka, who had already disappeared back into the back room.

Sighing, Sakura opened the door and smacked right into someone. "Oh, pardon me. I guess I'm in a little bit of a hurry, and I wasn't paying much attention," Sakura apologized.

"It was my fault, I was the one not paying any attention," the voice from her past jolted her into realizing how much she actually missed everyone. Maybe she was ready to come back after all. She missed her old friends a lot.

"Kakashi- sensei?"

"Sakura?"

"How have you been?" Sakura squealed, jumping into his arms for a hug. She had even missed her perverted teacher. How pathetic was she?

"Keeping myself busy, you know," he held up a book. "But, I want to hear all about you and your adventures in the Sand Village."

"Want to go out for lunch? I can catch you up to speed then?" Sakura suggested. She was so excited to see her old teacher. He had always been a bit on the odd side, but he had always been there when it counted most, maybe a few hours late, but that was Kakashi.

"Sure. How about the Ramen Shop?" he suggested as they walked side by side to the little shop that had served as a base of most of Sakura's memories. Her whole life revolved around that little shop when she was younger.

"Sounds great," Sakura smiled. In some ways it was good to be back.

Sasuke ran into the shop and found it was just a furry pink hat some girl was wearing. He sighed in disappointment; he had to quit getting his hopes up. Hope. It was such a sad word. It was dashed more often than not, and it hurt when it was.

Making his way back out onto the busy street, he decided to make his way back home, for a much needed nap. Maybe then he would stop hallucinating about the girl of his dreams. He just needed to accept the fact that the two of them would probably never see each other again.

Making his way passed the little ramen shop, he thought he saw a girl with pink hair, but he dismissed it as his mind playing tricks on him again.

So do you think I should continue? This was a long chapter because I wanted you to really get a taste of it. So, please review.


	2. Meeting

Please read and enjoy. Reviews would be wonderful so that I know if you like them and want me to continue.

**2 Meeting**

Sakura laughed at Kakashi's telling of the latest Naruto antics. She had sincerely missed all of her friends. She had thought she could go without missing them… needing them, and for a while it worked, but it didn't last very long. Too soon, she had been missing everyone and wanting to come back, but she knew she couldn't come back, not if Sasuke was here. Shaking her head she sipped her iced tea.

Sasuke had betrayed her, and she was never going to forgive him for it. He could have gone about leaving her behind. Sure, she should have taken the hint that he didn't like her, but still. Sakura looked at the experience as a lesson learned. She no longer chased guys, they chased her.

"So, how has the sand village been? Make any interesting friends?" Kakashi asked as he took a drink of his own tea, breaking her train of thoughts. He eyed the woman behind the counter as he waited for a response.

"Oh, ya. It's been great. I've become friends with Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara. And, all the administrators at the school are wonderful. Oh, I guess I didn't tell you that I am a Jonin and a medic ninja. I'm the school nurse, and I help teach the academy ninjas. It's great," Sakura explained. She missed her job, but it was sure nice to relax and know she was getting a paid 'vacation.'

Kakashi nodded. "So, is your mother sick?" he asked taking another sip of his drink.

"Ya, it's like a really bad flu that won't go away. She's only in her late forties, so I don't think she's dieing. But, I'm kind of scared. I've never seen anything like this before, and I have seen a lot since I worked at the hospital for a few years before becoming the teacher," Sakura shook her head; her mother's sickness baffled even her. It just didn't make any sense. What if her mother contracted some kind of disease that she or the doctors couldn't cure?

"I'm sure you'll make her better," Kakashi placed his hand on top of Sakura's in a gesture of endearment. He changed the subject. "So, does anyone else know that you're here? Have you made contact with anyone?"

"Anyone meaning Sasuke?" Sakura guessed. When Kakashi only shrugged, she continued, "No, I don't even know if he is even back, and I didn't look. I was hoping to keep it on the DL that I was even here, but seeing as how my mother looks like she will take a while to get better, I'll be stuck here for a few weeks, so I guess I don't need to sneak around." Sakura sighed. Her life was so complicated without needing to involve Sasuke again. Her whole childhood was awful, filled with one rejection after another. Not a great school memory.

"Why don't we have a little team get together? I could call Team 7 and we could meet at the old training grounds. It would be like old times. We could even try doing the bell drill again and see how well you all do with that. What do you say?" Kakashi suggested. He looked hopeful, though she didn't know why. Did he know something Sakura didn't?

Sakura relented, "Fine, but don't tell him I'm back. I want it to be a surprise." She stood up then, thinking about surprising Naruto. "Well, I better head back. My mom is expecting me. I'll see you tomorrow then. Same time?"

Kakashi stood up with her. "As if it would have changed," Sakura sensed that he was smiling behind his mask.

"See you then," Sakura waved as she walked off. She turned and looked at her teacher, "Try not to be too late." With that, she disappeared down the street and headed home, the sun shining in her hair as if it were glitter.

Sasuke sat in his room looking it over. It was the first time he had been home in years. Nothing but the dust that collected on everything had changed. Nothing had been moved, though he saw a few footsteps in the dust as if someone had been in the room at one point. The footprints looked like they could have been years old, too. At a closer glance, he thought they looked to be the right size for Sakura, but that was just wishful thinking.

He needed to get out of there. The dust seemed to suffocate him. He needed to clean the place, but he didn't feel that determined today. So, taking his weapons pouch and strapping it to his leg, he outside.

Not knowing where to go, he walked aimlessly down the street and headed into the heart of the village. Passing happy couples as he did. It made him sick. He should be one of them, holding the hand of the one he so wanted.

As he stepped passed the ramen shop, he saw a head of pink hair, again. He was about to run after it, but Kakashi stopped him by appearing in front of him. Sasuke was prepared to brush by, but Kakashi obviously had something to say.

"Oh, you're back. There is a team 7 meeting tomorrow morning. You know the time," Kakashi told him before heading off again, probably to find Naruto. He didn't even seem surprised that Sasuke had returned.

Sasuke rushed towards where he thought he saw the pink haired person, but he didn't see anyone with pink hair. She had eluted him again, but she didn't live here anymore. She was in the Village hidden in the Sand. Would he ever find her? Would their paths cross again?

Sighing, he continued on his aimless journey, content to just staring at the asphalt beneath his feet.

The next morning, he arrived bright and early at the training grounds. He was the first to arrive, like always. Today, though, he was more depressed than usual since it wouldn't really be Team 7. The team wasn't complete without Sakura, no matter how much he told himself otherwise.

He sat himself against the nearest tree and waited. Before he knew it, Naruto showed up and plopped down onto the grass near Sasuke's feet. They hadn't had a team meeting in so long, Naruto wasn't used to getting up this early. Especially since his son Akito hadn't been able to sleep very well that night, Naruto hadn't gotten any sleep. Hinata had to pour water over his face to wake him up and get him moving. Naruto wouldn't have been surprised if he didn't match.

"Hey, Sasuke, don't look so cheery eyed," Naruto teased as he closed his eyes and tried not to fall asleep.

"Doesn't look like you got too much sleep, you loser," Sasuke snapped back. It felt like they were kids again, teasing each other and name calling.

"Ya, well, Akito didn't sleep well last night," Naruto shrugged as he placed his hands behind his head, knowing Sasuke didn't have any comebacks.

Sasuke felt a pang in his chest. He so wanted a family of his own. The warmth of his wife, the pitter patter of little feet. But, he would only start a family with the one he loved. He just couldn't imagine anyone else.

Squinting in the early morning light, he saw a figure approaching the grounds, but figured it was Kakashi. But, as the figure drew nearer, Sasuke noted it was a nicely shaped, curvy woman. Frowning, he could see the pink in her hair and in her outfit. But, it couldn't be.

Standing up, he took a step forward, only to step on Naruto's hand. Naruto yelled in annoyance, but turned to see what Sasuke was staring at to find Sakura Haruno approaching them.

"Sakura?" Naruto asked to make sure as he rushed forward to greet her and engulfed her in a hug. Lifting her off her feet, he spun her around. "Oh, it's so good to see you. It's been forever, believe it. When did you get back?"

Sakura smiled, as she took Naruto in. He had definitely grown since they were kids. He had filled out more, gained more muscle, grown up, matured. She was so proud of him, and was truly happy that he had found someone as great as Hinata for his wife. She remembered their wedding day. She had been Maid of Honor. She had even come back for the birth of Naruto's first child, but had been unable to come see the second.

She had returned for all of her friends' weddings. It always left an ache pain in her heart. She felt like she should be one of them too. She had thought she would have married before Ino and Choji at the vary least. She had always wanted a family, but back at the sand village, none of the guys she dated seemed right. Gaara had been her only serious relationship; it had lasted two years, but needless to say it didn't work out between them.

"Yesterday. How's Hiro and Akito?" Sakura asked cheerfully. "Sorry I haven't been down to see them."

Sasuke inhaled. Had she been the one he had seen yesterday at the ramen shop and then again last night?

"They are both good, and don't worry about it, you're here now. How long are you staying?" Naruto replied.

"Until my mother gets better. She's sick," Sakura replied.

"Oh, so sorry to here that."

Sakura shrugged, "I'm a medical ninja, so I should be able to help her. She'll be fine."

Sasuke was tired of being ignored, so he decided to make his presence known to her. Would she hug him? Kiss him? Squeal with delight? He stepped forward and cleared his throat.

She turned, and her smile instantly faded. She was so shocked to see him she was speechless, or so he thought. She frowned and her eyes narrowed. It was like a dark cloud had overshadowed her. What had happened to her?

"Oh, so you're back," it was a statement, not a question, each word dripping with obvious distaste.

Sasuke furrowed his brows together. What could he have done to make her hate him so? He hadn't seen her in so long he couldn't remember. "Ya, I was back yesterday morning. I'm staying, hoping to lay down some roots."

"Good luck with that," Sakura sneered as she turned her attention back to Naruto. "So, how's Hinata?"

They launched into another conversation, totally ignoring Sasuke's very presence. Sasuke stepped back and sat back down against the tree. He could take a hint. She was angry, very angry. Was it about their last encounter? Was it that he left her?

Sakura could have killed him on the spot for acting as though nothing had changed between them, like he had never left, like they had been best friends forever. She just wanted to lash out and slash out his eyes.

She was fuming inside, and it took every ounce of her being to talk back to him civilly. Good thing Naruto was there, she didn't want to lose control in front of him. Her pride wouldn't let her.

She chose to ignore him, give him the cold shoulder. Just as Naruto was talking about Hiro's latest accomplishment, Kakashi appeared before them, interrupting their conversation.

"Good morning to all," he gave half a wave as he crouched on the post before them. "Let's just get this going, no sense in prolonging it any." He took out two bells. "Get them from me, complete the task. Pass the test. Two hours. Go."

The three of us jumped into the bushes and waited for the opportune moment to strike. The point of the task was teamwork, Sakura remembered that much. Now, she just needed to do it. But, easier said than done. She didn't want to have anything to do with Sasuke.

Naruto threw his kunei at Kakashi, and while Kakashi blocked that attack, Sakura threw one of her own, and Sasuke did the same from his angle. Kakashi easily evaded the attacks, and they were forced to move, to find another hiding spot.

Naruto jumped out and took on Kakashi; it seemed like old times. Sakura remembered Naruto doing the exact same thing when they were the tender young age of twelve.

"You haven't learned, have you Naruto?" Kakashi shook his head as he fought off Naruto. While Kakashi was distracted, Sakura came in from behind and attempted to grab the bells, but Kakashi grabbed Sasuke out of the air from the other side and threw him into her, as he jumped back away from Naruto.

Sasuke was on top of Sakura, and she could see that he didn't want to move, but she pushed him off and stood up, refusing to look at him. What was he thinking? He couldn't have feelings for _her_. Not now, not after all these years. Not after all the pining she had done, only to be scorned.

Sasuke wanted to curse when he saw the anger in her eyes, when he hesitated getting off of her. He had enjoyed the contact, way too much. He wanted her, boy did he want her. Why, oh why, did she have to hate him? It was sort of ironic really.

He would have to catch her later and explain things. Explain that things were different, that they could have something, something good between them. Please review. Should I keep going? Let me know.


	3. The Mission

_Please review. The more reviews the faster I update. Read and Enjoy._

_**3: The Mission**_

_An overworked, exhausted Sakura stepped out of her mother's one bedroom apartment building and headed over to her own apartment, on the other side of the village. She really needed to think about finding a place a little closer to her mother in case of an emergency. She had just gotten down with a healing session that she had been giving her mother since she arrived, though nothing seemed to be happening. _

_It was so hard for Sakura not to give up hope. It would be so simple, but being the optimist that she was, she would not let herself give up. She had to stay strong, if not for herself, than at least for her mother. If her mother saw her give up, than so would she, and Sakura wasn't about to have that on her conscience._

_Stepping onto the deserted streets of Konoha, she felt a slight breeze run through her hair as she hurried along her way. She hated the night. Sasuke had left her unconscious, to die, in the middle of the night. Sakura was effected greatly by that, however silly it was. She was a kunochi, so she shouldn't be afraid, but she was. It was one of her many weaknesses, as so many of the villains had reminded her of._

_That was another reason she had moved to the Sand Village. There, no one knew how weak she was, and she had a chance to be trained by the best. Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were great teachers and helped her tremendously. None of her enemies had called her weak again. _

_Sakura felt that her weakness was what had pushed Sasuke away as a kid. Was he embarrassed by how unskilled she was, though the smartest Shinobi in all of Konoha. Did her brains not matter at all to him? Was it only strength that mattered? Why couldn't he find a happy medium? _

_What was she thinking about him for? She was looking for a nice, relaxing, quiet time at home, and she wasn't about to let her mood, or her night, be spoiled with thoughts of that jerk. No, she was done pining over a lost cause. He may think he's changed. But, no one really does change, not that dramatically anyway._

_Upon arrival at the apartment, Sakura found a note written in neat handwriting taped to her door. It read:_

_Sakura,_

_Please meet at the Hokage's office straight away tomorrow morning at 5:00 sharp. Bring your weapons._

_Shizune_

_Sighing, she looked at the clock which read 1:00 A.M. and wondered what the Hokage wanted. Sakura unlocked her door and threw her purse on the table next to the door and walked into the bathroom to prepare her bubble bath. Sure, she'd be tired in the morning, but she was used to the late hours. She was going to relax if it was the last thing she did. _

_Sasuke sat on his bed staring at the old picture of Squad 7. He remembered the day of the photograph clearly. He remembered that neither he nor Naruto wanted to be in the picture with each other, and Sakura only wanted to be in the picture because he himself was in the photo._

_How naive he had been when he was a kid to have passed up on Sakura. She would have been perfect for him, he saw that now. She wasn't one of those crazed fan girls. She looked out for him, she was genuinely nice to him, not that fake nice all the other girls did to try and make him like them. She would have risked her life if it meant saving him. She cared for him as a friend and as a little crush. _

_Why did he have to push her away? It was the greatest mistake of his whole life. On his travels, he had met many women, and tried to form relationships, but he soon realized that there was only one woman for him, and her name was Sakura Haruno. How the wheels of fate continued to turn against him. Losing his family had been hard enough, and now he couldn't even be with the woman he loved?_

_A knock on the door brought him back to reality, and he went to answer it. Standing on the doorway stood Shizune, Lady Tsunade's assistant. It had started to rain, if only to mirror his mood. She was drenched to the bone, and Sasuke invited her into his home._

"_I can't stay long, I just have a message to deliver. Tomorrow morning at five, you are to report to the Hokage's office. There is an important mission in which your assistance is crucial," she told him before stepping back out into the rain and disappearing into the night._

_The night. How he hated the night. The night reminded him of the time he had left Sakura unconscious on a park bench. He had felt he needed power, if not to avenge his fallen family, than at least to be strong enough to protect her. That night, he had started to feel something for her, but was too afraid to acknowledge it and had knocked her out so he could escape._

_Sighing, he headed back up into his room. Would she ever find it in her caring, nurturing heart to forgive him? The Lord only knew he didn't deserve it. If the roles were reversed, he knew he wouldn't forgive him._

_Plopping down on his bed, defeated, he banged his head against his pillow in frustration. What was he going to do? The next morning, Sakura arrived at the Hokage's office fifteen minutes earlier than expected. She had learned that being early was crucial for success, at least that's what her boss at work had told her. Stepping into the office, Tsunade motioned for her to take a seat. _

"_The other's will be here shortly," Tsunade told her without looking up from the mountains of paperwork that seemed to clutter the desk and floor surrounding her. She was signing some of the papers._

_Shizune stood at the Lady Hokage's side. "Sorry about not talking to you in person, but I couldn't find you anywhere, and I had other errands to make, so I wrote you the note," she explained sheepishly._

_Sakura nodded with understanding. "No big deal. I'm here and that's all that matters." Sakura watched Tsunade clear a stack of papers from the desk. "So, may I ask what this is all about?"_

"_Well, we were going to wait for the others to show, but I see no harm in telling you now," Tsunade said as she took out a manila folder. Looking it over, she continued, "You are being sent on a mission in which your goal is to retrieve a pendent. The pendent gives the wearer immense amounts if chakra. It intensifies the skills by ten fold. It would be extremely bad if it is kept in enemy hands. That pendent has the ability to wipe out all of the nations, and we can not afford for this to happen. So, your mission is to bring it back."_

_Sakura nodded in understanding. "May I ask whom I am being sent out with?"_

_Tsunade and Shizune exchanged glances before the Hokage answered, "Naruto and Sasuke."_

_Sakura narrowed her eyes. "You're sending me out with that… that… that jerk? You know how I feel about him! Isn't there someone else to send with them? Lee? Neji? Kiba? Shikamaru? A higher up even? What about Kakashi? Why do I have to be the one to go?"_

_Tsunade narrowed her own eyes and sent a murderous glare Sakura's way. "All of others are currently on other missions. Lee's, Kiba's, and Ino's team are all out on assignments. Kakashi, Asuma, and Kurenei are all over in a neighboring villages trying to do some negotiations. We wanted you because of medical background. I taught you Sakura, I know what you are capable of," Tsunade explained, anger dripping from every word._

_Sakura looked away. She knew the Hokage was right, but that didn't make her feel any better. Finding the floor more interesting than the Hokage's face, Sakura kept her head down in shame. It was very disrespectful to talk back to any and all higher ups, and Sakura felt bad for showing weakness. "I'm sorry, Lady Hokage. You're right. Besides, Shinobi should get used to working with others, no matter how much they do not agree with them."_

_Tsunade's face softened. "Look, Sakura, I understand how you must feel, but I didn't do this to be mean. The team really does need you."_

_Sakura nodded, "I understand that, it's just that when I came back, I didn't want to be put on missions from here again. I came solely for my mother, and with me gone her condition could get worse."_

"_If your mother shows signs of worsening, we will send someone to come and get you and take your place. Maybe by then some of our Shinobi will be back, but I can't foresee your mother worsening," Tsunade assured her._

_Sakura nodded again, not knowing what else to do. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade."_

_A knock on the door stopped the conversation, and Shizune let Naruto and Sasuke into the room. Sakura wouldn't meet Sasuke's gaze, and she stood next to Naruto, all of them waiting for their assignment._

"_Okay, here's the deal. Two men and a woman have stolen a pendent from the Village hidden in the Clouds. This pendent increases chakra flow ten fold. Needless to say, if it were to fall into the hands of our enemies, the villages would be wiped out. So, it is your mission to track and bring back the pendent. Now, here are the ninja who stole it," Tsunade handed us pictures of the Shinobi._

_One man was terribly fierce looking with a scar running down both sides of his face. His eyes were narrowed and full of evil, and he was bald. He was big and bulky, with no amount of fat, pure muscle. The picture said his name was Gonzo._

_The other guy, named Bo, was a little more timid. He had a patch over one eye while the other eye was wide and psychotic looking. He had his hair buzzed cut and had a goatee going for him. He was lanky with toned muscles._

_The woman, Shauna, had a scar running over her left eye, which her blonde bangs tried to cover up. She wore her hair up in a ponytail with her bangs pushed to the side of the scar to hide it. She also had a mole on her upper right cheek. She was the image of pure evil, Sakura got that much out of her._

"_These three are known murderers. Each are wanted criminals from many different villages. Once they put the pendent on, they must wait forty eight hours before the pendent will take effect. The pendent was stolen last night at around midnight, so you still have forty three hours to find them, more than enough time. These guys aren't the smartest Shinobi in the village and we caught them on camera talking about where they were headed. They are heading to the a group of outlaws called the Vibe in the Village Hidden in the Moon. It is only a few hours away if you don't run into much interference. So, you have plenty of time, but I'd like you to hurry anyway," Tsunade explained._

_The three of them nodded and headed out the door to start their mission. Sakura just wanted to get this done so she could get back and be with her mother. The three of them headed out the gates and into the early darkness of the morning. Neither saying a word, just running together in sync. _

_This reminded Sakura of the good old days when they had been a team. When they all worked together to complete their missions, no matter how trivial they seemed. Like, catching that stupid cat that kept running away from its owner, or walking dogs, or pulling weeds. Those was the dumbest assignments ever. _

_She wouldn't have to talk to Sasuke on this mission, and she wouldn't even acknowledge that he was even there, give him a taste of his own medicine and see how he liked it. Sasuke ran alongside Naruto since Sakura wouldn't let him near her. She was pretty upset with him, and he would do anything to make it up to her, but she never gave him the chance. Maybe this mission would be the perfect time to talk to her because they would be alone for almost three days for sure; it seemed like the perfect chance. It was like God was sending a sign. The three of them, all out of breath from sprinting for so long, arrived in the Moon village around noon completely out of breath. It was a big village, twenty Leaf Villages combined. They wanted to just collapse. This was going to be harder than they thought. They would have search the village for the gang._

"_I say we should split up and meet back here in an hour to see what we have come up with," Sakura told them before heading out on her own and disappeared into the crowd of people milling about. Sasuke and Naruto headed off into the Village on their own._

_Sakura had no idea where to start. Gangs usually coincided with slums, so she decided to check out the dirtiest part of the village. Not sure how to find it, she wandered around aimlessly, asking a few people where the slums were. After about ten minutes of going no where, she found it._

_It was like walking down a poor village in Africa, the ones you see in documentaries. The people lived in little shacks, cardboard boxes, and tents. Nothing fancy or big. The people walking around were all dirty and frail looking._

_It angered Sakura to see people like this suffering when people not even blocks away were swimming in comfort. She stopped to talk to some of the women to ask about the Vibe. They pointed at a bar, which was a block away. It was probably the only brick building. _

_As Sakura walked through the dirty streets, children ran around smiling and laughing. It touched her heart. Here were these people who had almost nothing, and yet they still could laugh and smile. She was glad that they had found happiness, and wished that she herself could also find that eternal bliss that time after time eluded her._

_Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to the bar and stepped inside. Men crowded the inside. There was hardly any room to move. Tables and chairs were scattered about. Sakura squeezed through the crowd and took a seat at the bar. She ordered herself something to drink and looked out over the men. None were Gonzo, Shauna, or Bo. She was a little disappointed, but decided to try and get some information out of the men, maybe they knew something._

_Sakura stood up and walked up to a guy who was sitting in the back in a booth. She had caught him stealing glances her way since she had entered, and decided to try her luck with him. She took a seat next to him and tried to appear like a dimwitted, drunken, sexy woman. _

_Up close, the man was uglier than she had thought, and she was scared that she wasn't going to be able to pull it off. He had too small of eyes for his head, a crooked nose that looked like it had been broken more than once. He had nicks and scars along his face._

_She reached up and trailed her finger along his cheek. "I saw you eyeing me from afar," she said, her voice husky._

_He closed his eyes and allowed her to caress him. Sakura just wanted to gag. "You are one of the prettiest little ladies I have ever seen," the smell of alcohol was strong on him. He then opened his eyes and glared at her. "But, do you honestly think I'm stupid? You're a ninja here to gather information."_

_The headband in her hair! Ugh, how could she have made such a rookie mistake? Sakura was mentally kicking herself while the guy signaled to his buddies. Suddenly, four guys came and stood behind her, grabbing at her, trying to pull her out of the booth. Once she was standing, one lifted her over his shoulders like she was nothing more than a rag doll and headed to the back room, with his buddies in tow._

_What were they going to do to her? Rape her? Sakura wasn't a weak little baby, she could handle this. She started squirming, but one of the guys following punched her in the face, she knew she was going to have a black eye in the morning, if she lived that long._

_The guy holding her threw her on a table, shrugged out of his jacket, and took off his shirt. Oh God, were they going to rape her? She hadn't even told Naruto or Sasuke where she was going to be; they weren't coming to her rescue, not this time. Sasuke had decided to try the rich district and see what they knew. The rich were supposed to know everything about anything. They had friends everywhere. Stepping up to a man dressed nicely in a suit and tie, Sasuke asked him, "I'm here on some business. Do you happen to know anything about the Vibe?"_

_The man paled and shook his head, stuttering, "N-no…I-I can't h-help you." He looked around like something would pounce on him from anywhere._

"_Look, I don't want to hurt you, but if that's what it takes to get the information I need, I will," Sasuke threatened. _

"_Fine, I-I'll talk. But, not here. Come into my house. You didn't hear this from me." Sasuke followed the man thankful to be getting a lead. Naruto wandered around the town going from shop to shop asking about the Vibe. Everyone was too scared to say anything, but Naruto knew they knew something about it. Was the Vibe threatening the people if they gave them away? _

_Naruto headed back to the meeting place, he had nothing and he was hoping the others had stopped early as well. There was still a good twenty minutes, but no one was going to talk. They needed to regroup and figure out another plan. This wasn't as easy as they thought.Please review so that I know you like it!_


	4. The Scare

Sorry it's been so long since I updated this story. Patience is a virtue. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review so that I know I'm doing what you all like!

**4: The Scare**

Sasuke headed out of the house; the old man had been a great help. Sasuke headed down to the bar in the dirtiest part of the village. It was where all the brainstorming supposedly started. Where they hung out before going on their little missions. He knew he didn't have much time before he was going to have to head back and meet up with the others, but he felt something pulling him, like he had to check this out first.

The streets were like nothing he had ever seen. It was horrible; everything was covered in filth, from the people to the very shacks they lived in. He noticed how happy the children were though they would have every right to be angry and upset. They found the courage to smile, and it filled Sasuke with a renewed sense that hope still existed, that he could convince Sakura to take him back.

Opening the door to the bar, he saw that there were not very many people there, though there were a lot of voices coming from the back room.

Sakura was scared out of her mind. Her bare arms and legs were being held down by the filthy thugs that had taken her into the back room of the stingy bar while the leader had his hands all over her. He had removed her outer clothes and only her undergarments covered her. The guy was kissing her forcefully, and there was nothing Sakura could do to stop them. She couldn't budge.

Suddenly, she was able to move her feet after some movement behind the guy that was all over her. She couldn't see what was happening, but knew that someone was here for her. With her legs free, she swung them up and hit the guy where the sun don't shine. He fell to the floor. Sakura then, with her very flexible body, smacked the guys holding her arms down with her feet and back flipped off the table.

Turning, she saw who her savior was: Sasuke Uchiha. Though she still hated his guts, she was very thankful he had saved her. Who knows what could have happened if he hadn't shown up.

Sasuke reached and grabbed her arm and started pulling her after him, she yanked her arm free, grabbed her fallen clothes and raced after Sasuke. They ran until they met up with Naruto at their meeting place.

"Whoa, what happened?" Naruto asked as Sakura dressed herself. He couldn't take his eyes off of her bare legs, her torso, her chest. Sasuke was also staring, though trying to be discreet about it.

Sakura looked up and smacked Naruto in the head. "You're married, remember. Hinata." Sakura folded her arms across her chest when she was clothed again.

Naruto rubbed his head, but changed the subject, "What happened?" he repeated glancing at the black eye, split lip, and lighter bruises along her arms.

"We ran into some heavy interference. I got a first hand experience on how messed up the Vibe actually is," Sakura replied absently rubbing at her bruised arms.

Sasuke nodded, "Ya, and they have the whole city so scared that no one will speak out against them, they just tell people they don't know anything. I found a guy that gave me a lead on where to find them, and that's when I found you."

"I had a good look at their faces, and the guy helping the leader, the one who punched me, was Gonzo. I didn't recognize him at first because he was in the shadows. Bo was hanging back, but I didn't see Shauna." Sakura told them.

Sasuke shook with anger, "That was the guy we're after? If I'd have had a good look at him… I'm going back there to teach that jerk a lesson." Sasuke turned and was about to head back down the way they had come.

Sakura grabbed his forearm, stopping him. He glanced over his shoulder at her. She shook her head. "Don't. We don't need to do anything reckless. Don't go looking for a fight." She let go once she was sure he wasn't going to bolt.

"Sakura's right. We can't go looking for trouble. We need to devise a plan," Naruto nodded, so they all headed back down the street to find a decent place to stay at.

Sasuke's mind was thrown into overdrive; he couldn't stop thinking about Sakura. She could have died, and she wouldn't have known his true feeling for her. He would go find her, tell her everything that he felt. She would probably laugh in her face, but it would be worth the risk. If he didn't try, he would always wonder what could have happened.

Sitting up, he saw that Sakura sat at the river's edge by herself. Naruto was sound asleep next to the small fire. The Vibe had ordered the towns people to not let them stay anywhere, so the three of them were forced to camp out a just outside the village.

Sasuke stood and walked silently behind Sakura. She didn't move, just stared off into the water. Taking her silence as a good thing, Sasuke sat next to her, hoping desperately that she would at least acknowledge that he was there, maybe even talk to him.

Sakura didn't say anything to him, nor did she flinch when he sat next to her. She didn't move at all.

"Look, Sakura, we need to talk," Sasuke started, not sure how to tell her everything on his mind. How should he continue? Taking a deep breath, he continued, "I want to apologize for how I acted when we were younger. I was a jerk, and I don't know what my problem was."

Sakura finally turned to stare at me. Tears streaked her flawless face. "I can tell you what your problem was. You were conceited, selfish, and a complete jerk! You didn't care about anything but yourself. Oh- I was wrong. You only cared about getting stronger and killing your brother." She shrugged, anger dripping ravenously from her words. "You just didn't have time for anything else, no matter how much people were trying to help you!"

"I know, I know, and I wish I could take it all back, but the truth is I'm sorry. I want to make it up to you," Sasuke struggled for words. He wasn't used to saying sentimental things to anyone.

"Oh? You'll make it up to me? Oh, goodie!" Sakura smiled mockingly, feinting happiness, though he knew she was far from happy. "Sasuke, you can't just come back and expect me to forgive you. Do you have any idea what you put me through? You left me unconscious on a park bench! You knocked me out! You left me, not the other way around! I'm not going to forgive you!"

"But, if you'd just give me a chance, I can-"

"No!" she practically screamed. Naruto stirred in his sleep. "If we were twelve again, you'd probably get your way, but I'm not that weak, pathetic little kid anymore. Your Uchiha charm isn't going to get you out of this one. Not this time."

"Please-"

"Sasuke, quite frankly, you're annoying!" With that, Sakura stood up and walked over to her sleeping bag and crawled inside, turning her back to him.

Sasuke sulked quietly where Sakura had left him. He never knew someone could hurt this much, that someone could make him hurt this much inside. He had never given his heart to anyone before, and now, it seemed it was too late. Sakura hated his guts, and he thought she was going to slap him when they were arguing.

She had used the same sentence he had given her, those many many years ago. He never would have guessed that it had stung this bad. Was this what she felt over and over again, each time he rejected her feeble attempts to catch his heart. Little did they know, she had, and he hated feeling this weak, this vulnerable. Sakura was his whole world now, and he would give his life for her, why couldn't she see that? Couldn't she see the love emanating from his eyes? Or, were his eyes too cold to feel anything else?

He understood her anger, and that hurt him even more. It was his own fault she hated him. He had left her, he had rejected her time and time again, he was the one who had never given her a chance; and now he just expected her to give in with a snap of his fingers? She was stronger than that, and he knew it.

Sighing, he wondered just how he was going to make this right again. She deserved so much better than him, but the thought that she would end up with someone else repulsed him. He could picture their future together; he had it all sketched out in his mind, but without Sakura, the whole picture would crumble. He loved her, and at one point in time, she had loved him. Could he bring that love back out of her again? He certainly hoped so.

The next morning, Sakura awoke as the sun's warm rays danced over her skin. Blinking a few times, she sat up and looked around. Naruto was sleeping in the sleeping bag next to her, and Sasuke was leaning against a tree, near the stream- exactly where she had left him, sound asleep.

Sakura sighed as she ran her hands through her knotty hair. She knew she should hear Sasuke out, but she was afraid to, afraid of what he would tell her. What if she gave in and the two dated. Sasuke would eventually leave her broken hearted again. Would he knock her unconscious before he left too?

Sakura knew she was being unfair, but she couldn't help it. He had hurt her too much for her to just drop everything for him. She wasn't twelve anymore. She knew she should thank Sasuke for saving her back in the village, but her pride got in the way every time she attempted it. She hated that she had had to rely on Sasuke to save her, but everyone needed a little help now and then.

She stood and started folding her sleeping bag and shoving it into her backpack. She hated to wake them when they were sleeping so soundly, but they needed to get going. The sooner they got going, the sooner she could get home and help her mother again. She wondered how her mother was doing.

"Naruto, wake up," she shook his shoulder gently. He went on snoring. Sakura resorted to slapping his cheeks softly. "Come on. Wake up! Naruto!" He just swatted her hand away and rolled away from her.

Sighing, she went to the stream and filled her water bottle full. Walking back to Naruto, she gently kicked Sasuke awake. Crouching next to Naruto, she dumped the water on his face. Sputtering, he jumped up looking for the culprit.

"Sorry, but I tried everything else, but nothing else worked," Sakura grinned sheepishly. "But it was a hoot!"

As they were packing up their camp, suddenly Shizune and Tsunade rushed into the clearing. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke exchanged confused looks. "Granny Tsunade, why are you here?" Naruto asked startled.

"Quick, Sakura. Your mother isn't doing too good. You need to come back. I don't think she has a lot of time left," Tsunade answered in a rush, eager to get back home, obviously.

Sakura snapped awake and raced forward. Tsunade falling in step behind her. Shizune turned to the boys, "I'm going to help you finish this mission," she told them as she helped them pack up.

"I thought you had to go on a separate mission," Sasuke told her, confusion all over his face.

"Huh? Oh… I, uh, got over it pretty fast, it was easy with the whole team with me," she replied absentminded.

"Naruto, will you come help me with the water?" Sasuke asked, nodding at Shizune's answer.

"Uh, sure," Naruto nodded, not sure why Sasuke needed help with getting water.

Once they were out of ear shot, Sasuke turned to Naruto and spoke in a whisper, "That's not Shizune. Shizune had to do a mission by herself. She had to go pay off some of the debts Tsunade had from the past. It would take her a few days to get there, and she left right after us. There is no way she's back yet."

"Then, who is she?" Naruto asked, agreeing with Sasuke's explanation.

"I don't know, but if Shizune isn't the real deal, than neither is Tsunade," Sasuke replied.

"Sakura!" Naruto exclaimed realizing the danger she was in.

"I'll go after Sakura. You can take care of the imposter by yourself, right?" Sasuke suggested.

"No problem. Believe it!" Naruto nodded.

Sasuke gave him a curt nod and took off after Sakura and the imposter Tsunade. Was it already too late? Had Sakura realized that it wasn't really Tsunade yet?

I hope you liked it. Please review!


	5. Nightmare

Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review so that I know I'm doing what you all like! . If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, make them known- It would help me make it more reader friendly.

**5: Nightmare**

Sakura led the way back to the Leaf Village, wondering just how her mother was doing. How had her condition worsened? Tsunade hadn't said anything since they had left the others, was she just giving Sakura her space?

"Lady Tsunade, how is my mother doing? What are her symptoms?" Sakura asked, breaking the silence and wondering why Tsunade was so quiet- it was so unlike her nature.

"Your mother? Oh, she is running a fever, and she says she is in a lot of pain. She's been asking for you," Tsunade answered. Sakura noted that she seemed to be distracted.

"But, she already had those symptoms. Did she receive new symptoms?" Sakura shook her head confused. The Hokage would not have risked leaving the village to come get her when she could send someone else. Also, the hokage would not have wanted her back home if her mother hadn't changed.

Sakura stopped abruptly and turned to face the faker. Had the others figured out that Shizune was an imposter as well? Knowing them, they had figured it out long before she had. How could something like this slip passed her so easily? Probably when it came to her mother, Sakura only thought of her. Sakura wasn't easily distracted, now- though she couldn't say the same thing years ago, but things had changed; times had changed. She had changed.

"The jig is up! I know you aren't the real hokage. Now, tell me who you really are!" Sakura ordered fiercely.

"Ah, but that wouldn't be any fun," the imposter stopped a few feet away and crossed their arms across their chest. "And, I'm all about fun." It just didn't look right with Tsunade and the body language this Shinobi was adding.

Sakura had to hide her cringe. "What do you want with me?" she demanded, knowing full well that it probably had to do with her death.

"I only want to kill you," the faker replied innocently. Typical. Predictable.

Sakura knew this act all too well. She was so used to other ninjas trying to kill her when she went on missions for the sand village, but then Gaara had always been there to protect her. This time she was alone with no one to protect her. Good. It was exactly how she wanted it.

Sakura pulled out her kunei and was ready to go down fighting- not that she planned on going down at all.

Sasuke wasn't too far behind Sakura and the fake Tsunade. He just hoped he could get there before Sakura took her on. He didn't want anything to happen to Sakura; if she died, so would a part of him. He knew it was a bad cliché, but it fit.

Jumping through the brush, he found himself in a clearing. Sakura stood with her back to him facing the imposter who was just changing back to her real form. It was Shauna! So they were making their move first? Fine with him. With Sakura's help, they could easily take Shauna on.

"Sakura, I'm here. Back off! I'll help you," Sasuke told her as he took a few steps forward. Sakura didn't move, didn't even flinch.

Shauna laughed cruelly. "I'm afraid she can't hear you. She can't hear anything but the voices in her head." She threw back her head and laughed again.

Sasuke reached for Sakura and turned her to face him. Her eyes were wide and glazed over with a white film covering the pupil. Her face was twisted as though she was in a panic, like she was frightened. Her body was rigid, and her hands were limp at her side. She was moaning quietly to herself.

Sasuke turned to Shauna. "What did you do?" he asked furiously.

"Why, I just enhanced her greatest fears. Just like you'll be now." She made some rapid hand signs, and the next thing he knew, he was thrust forward, or backward, he couldn't tell.

_Opening his eyes, Sasuke awoke in his own bed of his Uchiha estate. He was dazed and confused. Why was he here? He tried to remember where he was yesterday, but he couldn't remember anything; he was fairly sure that he hadn't been here. He sat up in bed and looked around; it was exactly as he knew his room should be. Was this some sort of ninjutsu? He didn't think so, but he couldn't be sure until he got outside. _

_Kicking his covers away, he stumbled to his dresser and threw on a T-shirt and some khaki shorts. Glancing in the mirror, he appeared much older than he would have thought. It looked as if he was about twenty three. Sasuke was getting more and more confused by the minute, and every second any suspicion of anything else vanished until he knew he was supposed to be here._

_Leaving his unruly hair alone, he left the confines of his room and headed downstairs. Everything here was as it should be, nothing out of place. Walking into the kitchen, he grabbed a bottle of water and headed out the front door. _

_What was he going to do today? He felt as though he was supposed to be doing something, but he couldn't remember what. The streets of Konoha was exactly the same, nothing different. He waved to his fellow villagers; they no longer held the grudge against him for leaving, too many years had past, and he had served his punishment. _

_He headed to the ramen shop, hoping to find something that fit, something that would let him remember anything before today in detail. When he entered the ramen shop, he suddenly remembered the time he came back that very first day when he met everyone again. He remembered how they were married, how they had kids. This time, though, they had their kids with them. Three years had passed since then._

_Again, there was no Sakura. What, did she not run with this 'crowd' now? Did she think she was better than everyone else? Or, was she still in the Sand Village? Maybe her mother was better, or died, and she felt like she didn't need to come back. Maybe she was still angry with him. Well, he was going to go set her straight._

_Still, he had to be sure. "Guys, have you seen Sakura lately?" he asked casually in the same tone someone would ask about the weather, as if he didn't care._

_Ino looked up from her little girl who looked exactly like her; yeah! Sasuke thought sarcastically. "Ya, I saw her a little while ago. She was shopping down at the market. She said she needed to stalk up, so she might be down there awhile, why?" Ino replied curiously._

"_No reason. But, I got to go. Catch up later!" he walked faster than normal out of the ramen shop towards the old market street. He was going to confess, tell her that she couldn't not be with him. He didn't care if he looked like a fool, just as long as he had her._

_He jogged down the street, getting a few curious looks his way, but he ignored them and kept going. Sakura was the only thing on his mind, and he had a one tracked mind. Once he set his mind to something, there was no stopping him._

_That it, until he saw her. Her back was to him, so he couldn't get a good look at her. She was talking to a man in front of her. Her hair was a little longer, and she had curled it today. She was wearing a nice white shirt that left a lot to his imagination. She wore a pink skirt that billowed in the light breeze. She was even more stunning than he remembered, and age had only made her more beautiful._

_His heart pounding, his hands sweaty, he took the nervous steps forward until he was right behind her. She turned, the basket held in front of her was full of food. Her emerald eyes were still able to melt his ice, cold heart, and those full, pink lips…_

"_Sakura," he breathed._

"_Sasuke?" she asked worriedly, though anger was evident in her voice. "Do you need something? Are you okay? You look a little pale, like you don't feel well."_

"_No, I'm fine," he managed to choke out. Why did she sound so hostile towards him? What had he done now?_

"_Are you sure? You really don't look too good. Your hands and face are all sweaty," the guy stepped to Sakura's side and looked Sasuke over. He had an air of protectiveness around Sakura, like he sensed the anger emanating from her._

"_Oh, I uh, just got done running. I'm fine," Sasuke lied. Truth was he was hyperventilating upon seeing her. Now, he just needed to get her away from the guy and talk to her in private. "Look, Sakura, I want to talk to you. Can we talk privately?" Might as well be blunt._

_She hesitated, like she didn't really want to, yet she didn't want to be rude. "Uh, sure. Sai, why don't you head home? I can finish when I'm done talking to Sasuke," Sakura told him. When she said his name, it sent chills down his spine- she said it with such disgust it scared him._

"_Sure," he was hesitant, but Sai nodded and turned to head home. _

_Sasuke didn't wait, he pulled her to a bench and sat down, Sakura opposite him. She set the basket down on the bench beside her._

"_Okay, Sasuke, what is it?" Sakura asked impatiently. Her green eyes pierced through his and seemed to look into his very soul._

"_Who is that?" Sasuke was too nervous. He had to build up to it. _

_She frowned. "You know Sai, he became part of team seven when you left."_

"_No, I mean, who is that to you?" Sasuke was now very curious. He hadn't liked the way he had looked at Sakura, not one bit._

_She frowned again. "Sasuke, did you bump your head or something? Why are you acting so weird? Are you trying to make me even angrier? I told you we are over! We weren't ever a thing, and I got it, okay? I wasn't your type. What I don't understand is why you keep coming back and trying to get me to leave Sai. He is my husband, Sasuke!" She flashed her ring, the diamond bigger than his pinky nail on his hand. _

_It was Sasuke's turn to frown, "You married him? You never gave me a chance to redeem myself?" He shook his head, as if he didn't believe it._

_Sakura screamed in frustration. She looked as though she wanted to pull her hair out. "Since your memory is obviously failing you… When you returned three years ago, we ran into each other, and you asked me out, I turned you down. Sai helped me with my mother after a mission we went on because I couldn't stand to be near you, so Tsunade sent him to watch over me. Well, one thing led to another and he proposed about a year after that, and we were married shortly after that. You wouldn't even come to my wedding." She shook her head with disgust. "I am now happily waiting for the birth of our first child." _

_Standing up, Sakura turned to grab the basket; Sasuke finally got a good look at her stomach. It looked like she would pop at any moment. The basket had been in the way before, and he hadn't seen how big she actually was. _

_Sasuke had to repress himself from gawking at her. His mouth wanted to drop open. He reached for her, not sure what he was going to do- all he knew was that he needed to touch her, hold her in his arms, but she slapped his hand away._

"_Sasuke, I was a fool when I was younger. I don't know what I saw in you. I don't know what anyone saw in you." she shook her head. "I pity you. You could have been great, but you threw it away."_

_With that, she stormed away. Sasuke ran after her. "Please, Sakura, give me another chance. I've changed. I'm not who I used to be. I'm different now; I realize I was a jerk to you. I want to make it up to you, make you see."_

_She turned, her face softened ever so lightly. Was that hope he saw flicker across her eyes? She shook her head. "No. And, I'd prefer you stay away from me."_

_Suddenly everything took a deadly turn. Sasuke was suddenly there in the hospital as Sakura's screams could be heard in the room over. She was going into labor. Not only did he have to look at the child that wasn't his, he had to see how happy Sakura was without him. A sharp pain attacked his heart and he clutched at it. It was beating a mile a minute. Way too fast. Was he having a heart attack?_

_The next thing he knew, he was in the hospital room watching as Sai leaned over Sakura. She was wincing in pain, but no sound was coming out. Sasuke couldn't hear any sound at all. All he saw was Sakura dieing in Sai's arms. Her eyes fluttered open for a moment before closing eternally._

_The pain in his chest worsened. This couldn't be happening. It couldn't be real. Sakura couldn't be gone. He was going to open his eyes and find himself in a dream. That was when it hit him. This was all a dream._

Sasuke opened his eyes to find Naruto fighting off Shauna, and he was winning. The pendent they had been after in his left hand. Looking to his left, he found Sakura still unconscious on the ground. Her eyes were shut tightly and her face was in a grimace. Was she in the same place he had been? Why wasn't she coming to?

His heart was still racing, and he was worried she was feeling the same thing he had been feeling.

"What?" Shauna's voice pierced Sasuke's thoughts. "How did you break through my jutsu? That's impossible. No one has ever done that before!"

Naruto took advantage of her being distracted and attacked her, knocking her unconscious. He rushed to Sakura's side. "What's wrong with her?" he asked, worry written across his face.

"It's some sort of an illusion. I came out of it, so maybe she will too," Sasuke replied, examining Sakura's condition.

"Either way, we need to get her to the Leaf Village and to Granny Tsunade," Naruto pointed out. "You take her and I'll bring the thieves. Why don't you bring the pendent with you, just to be safe."

Sasuke nodded and took the pendent from him and shoved it in his pocket. He gently picked Sakura up, bridal style and took off towards the village as gently as possible to make the ride easier for her, though he didn't think she knew what was going on out here.

She would be okay. She had to be.

I hope you liked it. Please review!


	6. Hospital Visits

Hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review so that I know I'm doing what you all like! . If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, make them known- It would help me make it more reader friendly.

**6: Hospital Visits**

Sasuke was pacing in front of the ER, waiting for Lady Tsunade to come out and give him word that Sakura was okay, that she was awake. He didn't know how long he had been waiting, but it was long enough for almost the whole village to come and fill up the waiting room. Even Gaara, Kankuro, and the hardly ever seen Shikamaru and Temari came to see how Sakura was doing.

Sasuke had felt a little too crowded in the waiting room, so he was pacing in the hallway, right in front of the ER. If she didn't make it… he couldn't even think about it. He let out a breath and ran his hand through his thick hair. What he wouldn't give to be in the room, holding her hand.

_Please, God, let her be safe. I'll get on my hands and knees and beg! Please let her be okay. I'll give up being a ninja; I'll never lie again. I'll confess my feelings as soon as she wakes up. I'll do anything if only I could see her emerald eyes upon my face. I'll even be fine if things went back to how they had been, with her hating me. Just let her come out of this safe and sound._

As Sasuke was silently talking to a God he didn't even really know existed, the light to the ER turned off and Tsunade walked out into the hall, a grim look upon her face. Sasuke saw the look right away and thought his heart would stop. Something was wrong. _Oh, please God, no._

"Sasuke-" she started, not sure how to tell him the news. Bad news was always hard to give.

"Is she awake yet?" Sasuke interrupted. He didn't want to give her a chance to tell him what he didn't want to hear.

"No, and if things keep progressing the way they are, it's likely that she won't ever wake up," Tsunade answered solemnly. "We are transferring her to a intensive care room. You can stay with her as much as you want. I won't limit you to visiting hours, not now." She shook her head. "I'll go give everyone the news. Just follow the nurses."

"Wait, tell me what's wrong with her," Sasuke insisted. He couldn't figure out why Sakura wasn't snapping out of it like he had.

Tsunade took a deep breath before continuing, "The jutsu that was placed on her makes the victim live out their worst fears. They suffer from a panic attack which will stop the heart and kill them. I have seen this only once before, and it moves through four stages."

Sasuke waited for her to continue, knowing he wasn't going to like it.

"Stage one is called the Internal Stage. It's where everything just happens inside her head. She thinks everything is real, believes she is actually going through it. This was the only stage you were in. Stage two is called the Raging Stage, in which she might start talking out loud, yelling, screaming. Stage three, the External Stage is where her vision becomes violent and anything that happens in her mind forms on her body. If she breaks a leg, her leg will snap. Stage Four is the Ending Stage, where she dies. She just started in on the second stage. By tonight the third stage will have set in. By tomorrow morning, she'll be out of reach. I won't be able to save her."

Sasuke felt like someone had shoved a knife to his chest. "Is there no chance she could wake up? Why could I?" He shook his head in frustration and confusion.

"She could wake up at any time. She just needs to realize that it isn't real, that it's an illusion." With that, she left.

As Tsunade left Sasuke to follow the nurses moving Sakura, she couldn't believe she was letting that traitor near her promising pupil. But, she could tell by the look on his face that he truly cared for her, that he loved her. She could see all the regret, pain, and anguish hidden behind the mask he had created, which had fallen off completely tonight. To think the young Uchiha had feelings other than superiority. She shook her head again and went to give the others the news.

Sasuke sat on a chair at the edge of Sakura's bed, running his hand over her bare arm. "No. Please, no." she whispered as the machines connected to her beeped and chirped.

Sasuke froze. She wasn't talking to him, she was still in her paranormal state. He kissed her palm, then flipped her hand over gently and kissed the other side. It scared the crap out of him, knowing that she was in pain, that he was helpless to do anything for her. It killed him that he couldn't help her fight this, that he just had to sit there and watch her.

He wanted to tell her everything he felt for her, confess. But she couldn't hear anything while in her coma like state. Though, he thought he should practice, so, taking her hand in both of his, he started.

"Sakura, I know you probably hate my guts right now, and I don't blame you for a minute. I deserve it all, but can I say that I was a dumb teenage who didn't know as much as he said did? I was always pushing you away, and you thought I hated you. Truth is, I never hated you. Don't tell anyone, but I was afraid of you. Afraid that you'd look into my soul and see what everyone else didn't, that I was a bratty twelve year old searching for companionship though I was afraid to let anyone in; I was afraid they would leave me too. But, now I see that without risks, you don't get anywhere."

He took a deep breath. "This is a lot easier than I thought it would be." Sasuke smiled slightly. "I have a confession to make, I didn't leave you behind because I wanted to. I left you to save you. I didn't want you to get involved with Orochimaru. Sure, I was going to him for power, but once I got that I would kill him and move on. I never expected to come back to you hating me. I was just so used to you hovering and following me everywhere I went that I just took it for granted that you would always feel that way. I was barely a teenager than, and I was stupid. I'd like to say that I'm different now, that I've changed."

She just mumbled in her "sleep." He laced his fingers through hers. "I came back with one purpose, and one purpose only. I didn't care if everyone else hated me, just so long as you didn't. But, when I came back everything was change, reversed. When I found out that you had moved to the Sand Village, I almost took off to find you. Sakura, I can't imagine my life without you, and I don't want to try. Without you, there is no purpose to my existence."

His heart was in a flurry for reasons he didn't know. He knew she couldn't hear him. But he was hopeful. "I was hoping that on this mission I would get the chance to show you that I really did care for you, but you've always been a pistol. I think deep down those feelings are still there, you're just afraid to let them bubble to the surface. I would do anything for you.

"And what I want more than anything is for you to open your eyes, even if they shoot daggers at me… if only to see your eyes again. Please, just please wake up! I will do anything for you."

He blinked back the tears that he would not let fall. "I love you," he whispered softly, gently kissing her on her lips. He pulled away and looked longingly at her perfect face.

A knock sounded on the door, and Temari sauntered into the room, that air of independence followed her everywhere she went, he noticed. "How's she doing?" She was dressed in a black blouse and nice khaki pants, a look that only a true friend would bare on her face. She sat at the base of Sakura's bed and took in Sasuke's grave face.

Sasuke shrugged, never taking his eyes off of Sakura's. What he wouldn't do if only she would open her eyes. If only she would jump up and say "Psych! I'm just playing with you!" Psht. As if that would happen.

"Sasuke, what are you doing?" she asked simply, firmly, bluntly. Glancing up at her, he saw her mouth set in a straight line, her eyes narrowed, her brows furrowed. She always one for saying whatever was on her mind. He had no idea that Sakura and Temari had gotten to be such good friends.

He frowned. "I'm here for Sakura. For moral support. Same reason you are, actually." Why would she ask such a dumb, rhetorical question?

"No, I know that. I mean, why are you doing this to yourself. You know she hates your guts. And, as far as anyone can tell, you don't care about anyone or anything but yourself and your rise to power. No offense," she replied, shrugging. She didn't seem the least bit upset about offending him. How Shikamaru put up with her was beyond him. Opposites attracted.

He shrugged, not sure how to answer. What was the correct response? He wanted to just grunt, like he always used to, and hope she would get the hint and leave. But, he knew she would just keep pestering him until he caved.

"I don't know," he answered truthfully. There was a feeling in his chest, a feeling he had never felt before. He found himself wishing that Sakura and him were reversed, so that he could take all the pain away from her.

"Well, I do. You're in love with her. It's as plain as day. Everyone can see it. The only thing I don't understand is why you continue to keep pursuing her even after she tells you she doesn't want to see you anymore," Temari shook her head like an over protective friend.

Sasuke looked away, afraid to meet her searching gaze, afraid she would find the confirmation she wanted.

"Look, I don't have anything against you except for the fact that you left Sakura alone and confused and hurt. That doesn't sit well with me. But, after I have seen the love that emanates from your eyes, I know how much you deeply care for her, no matter what you might say. I will help you by talking to her when she wakes up." He noticed she said _when_ not _if_.

He only nodded and looked back at Sakura. She was still talking, but he was only listening to Temari.

"But…" Of course, there were always buts. "If you hurt her, she won't be the only one hurting."

"Look," Sasuke burst. He didn't want to keep taking it. Temari didn't think he would really care for her, but he would. He did. "I care about Sakura more than my own life. I would gladly take her pain if only she would open her eyes. I'd die to protect her. So, don't give me the crap that I don't care and that I'm out to hurt her." Sasuke was shouting now.

He took a deep breath to calm himself down. Just as Temari was about to say something more, Sakura called out his name. "Sasuke…." She frowned in her coma like state. "Please don't leave. Wait. No… No…" It sounded as though she was awake, but dare he get his hopes up? "Don't do it!" Her voice was on the verge of hysterics.

Suddenly her heart monitor started making more, louder beeping noises. Her heart was speeding up. Temari was on her feet and out the door before Sasuke was comprehending what was taking place.

"NO! Please, stop!" Sakura screamed as a bruise started forming on her rosy cheeks. She started grunting and thrashing about. Sasuke had to restrain her so that she wouldn't fall off the bed.

Tsunade rushed in and took in the situation. "There is nothing I can do, except heal the injuries that she sustains. She has moved into the third stage." Tsunade took her place opposite Sasuke and healed the bruise that formed on her cheek.

Then, a slash mark appeared on her left arm, drenching Sasuke's clothes in her blood. Sasuke never was queasy at the sight of blood, but upon seeing her lose blood, he wanted to vomit.. to crawl under a rock.

She was bucking and twisting, trying to get away from whoever was attacking her in her dreams, or nightmares. A snap rang out like a tree falling in a library. Sakura screamed in pain, clutching her stomach.

"Her ribs!" Tsunade exclaimed as she was healing the slash, she quickly moved to the broken ribs.

Suddenly, everything was happening at once. Bruises were appearing everywhere, blood was spewing out of her arms and stomach, her leg was broken as was her arm.

Oh, dear God, please let a miracle happen and let her survive! Sasuke pleaded through tears.

I hope you liked it. Please review!


	7. Sakura's Nightmare

**Reality Bites**

I hope you enjoy this chapter, please review. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, make them known- It would help me make it more reader friendly.

**7: Sakura's Nightmare**

_Sakura opened her eyes and found herself in an unfamiliar room. Sitting up in confusion, she rubbed her eyes trying hard to remember what had happened last night but failing. Her memory was hazy, and she couldn't bring any specific memories to the surface; it gave her a major headache._

_Taking a good look around, she found a large white room with dark blue curtains concealing the sunlight that desperately searched for a way into the room to fall upon her. A dresser sat underneath the window with a few knickknacks scattered upon the top. An open door revealed a huge walk-in closet. To the right of the bed was a nightstand that held her girlie magazines and a few pictures, but it was too dark to see who was in them. A very expensive carpet lined the floor, and Sakura found herself, yet again wondering where she was. _

_Glancing down, she found she was not the only one in the bed. Raven hair poked out from beneath the covers. He was facing away from her, but she knew who he was. Sasuke Uchiha. She raised her eyebrows even more confused. Looking down again, she found a huge diamond on her left ring finger. Was she married to him? Was this their bedroom? _

_**Oh My God!**__ Sakura thought. __**I married Sasuke Uchiha?**__ What had possessed her to do that? She hated his guts, or at least she thought she did. Now, she wasn't so sure. All of the feelings she thought she felt were slowly slipping away and were being replaced with feelings of love and compassion._

_She got up, careful not to wake him and found herself with no clothes on. __**Oh.**__ She put two and two together and found herself running into the bathroom (surprised she knew where it was), throwing up. After she emptied her stomach, she washed her mouth out and wiped her mouth clean with toilet paper, throwing it in the trash, but something in the trash caught her eye. It was a pregnancy test! Taking it out, she was shocked at what it told her. She was pregnant. Maybe that explained why they had done it. She had told Sasuke and he had been overwhelmed with happiness. _

_Feeling better, she strolled back into the bedroom and got dressed. Glancing at herself in the mirror, she found she had a slight bump. Not enough for anyone else to really notice unless they really looked. She was elated at the fact that she was going to be a mother. _

_She felt sick again and ran back into the bathroom. This time, though, a pair of hands held back her hair for her and kissed her neck softly. "So, did you think about what I told you?" he asked softly, and Sakura felt herself melting into him._

"_I have a headache this morning; I'm sorry, but I don't remember what you told me," Sakura admitted, shamefaced._

_He looked angry as he turned her to face him. "You know, about the abortion." _

"_Who's abortion?" Sakura asked confused. Surely he wasn't talking about their baby. _

_He gave her a threatening look. "Yours."_

_Sakura was floored. "Mine?" She squeaked out. She shook her head and scooted as far from him as she could in the confines of the bathroom. _

"_Of course yours. We talked about this yesterday morning, you know, when you told me about it." Sasuke told her as if he was talking to a slow, incompetent kindergartener. _

_Sakura frowned. "No." She shook her head. "I'm not going to have an abortion." She was defiant, adamant. She didn't believe in abortion. _

_His eyes clouded over. "Yes you are. Whether you want to or not. I will get my way. I always do." He stood up and strolled out of the bathroom and out the bedroom._

_Sakura sobbed softly to herself. This was the guy she had been so crazy about when she was young and naïve? What had she seen in him? Why had she even given him a second chance after he left her? This couldn't be the real Sasuke Uchiha. There had to be something wrong, something out of place._

_The day passed and Sakura just sat in the enclosed bathroom sobbing her heart out. She had only moved to lock the door. She couldn't take the chance of Sasuke walking in on her and seeing her this way. No. It was just too much. She either puked her eyes out or sobbed until no more tears would come. _

_When she finally began to feel better, she wandered out of the bedroom and explored the rest of the house. Or mansion. Everything was twice the size it should be. She was impressed; she had always wanted to live in a mansion- it had been a secret dream of hers._

_She was eating an apple in the kitchen when Sasuke strolled in through the back door, sweaty and tired looking. "Feeling better?" he asked because he felt it was a husband was supposed to say, not because he really cared._

_Sakura found herself staring at his muscles that strained against the thin fabric that was his shirt. He had to be about six foot five, a good foot taller than her, and probably three times her weight._

"_Sure," Sakura nodded slightly. She was still too angered to really talk to him. How could he have said such a thing?_

"_Let me make it up to you, over dinner?" he suggested so seductively that Sakura couldn't say no. She just nodded. "Good. Now, we'll discus the problem over dinner. Go put on something pretty, and we will be on our way." He turned and headed upstairs to take his shower._

_Sakura was fuming on the inside. Was she the "problem"? She wasn't going to take it. If he insisted on an abortion, she would leave him far behind, and she meant it. She was not going to sit there and take it. She was better than that. _

_With nothing stopping her, she walked upstairs into their bedroom and into the walk-in closet, looking for something amazing to wear, something that would knock Sasuke's socks off. She found a backless, red, halter top dress that was skin tight, hugging her curves graciously. Just above her knees, it flared out slightly. Checking herself in the mirror, she brushed through her hair and pulled it up out of her face. After making sure her make-up was perfect, she declared herself ready. _

_She headed back downstairs after pulling on a pair of matching shoes. Sasuke had headed downstairs after he had showered and dressed to wait for her. She found him sitting in the living room, reading the paper._

_He glanced up, and his eyes smoldered with passion. She knew she had picked the right dress. "I'm ready when you are," she told him, breezing passed him and waited for him at the door. She saw he wanted to pounce on her then, to bring her back up stairs, but they had pressing matters to attend to._

_At the restaurant, the most expensive restaurant at that, they were eating silently. Sakura caught him sneaking glances at her. She wanted to shake her head at him, she had picked this dress out because it was so tight, it would really show off the bump on her stomach, this way if she suddenly had no bump, people would get suspicious._

_Once they had their fill, Sasuke turned his full attention upon his wife. "Sakura, I know you really want this baby, but I feel that neither of us are ready for it. Quite frankly, I don't want kids, and I thought you understood that when you said "I do." Or have you forgotten?"_

_Sakura glanced down at her hands in her lap. She didn't want to look him in the eyes. She remembered that memory. After Sasuke had proposed, he had told her that he had no intention of ever wanting children. She had accepted anyway. She was head over heels for him._

"_I didn't think so. Now, come on. Think about this rationally. Do you think this would be a healthy environment for the child to be growing up in? My not wanting it, you never being home with your job at the academy," he shrugged. "It's just not healthy. Think about what's best."_

"_No, please, no. Please just let me keep it," Sakura begged, looking up at him. "Please."_

_Sasuke frowned in disgust. "Don't beg. It's not fitting for you. You look like a mutt. And, you know how I feel about that."_

_Sakura felt the tears threaten to burst forth. She tried to blink them back. He was so mean. She suddenly regretted giving him a second chance. "I want to go home." Sakura stood and headed for the door, Sasuke left a fifty on the table and followed after her, anger threatening to boil to the surface._

_Once at home, Sakura stomped into their bedroom and threw her shoes in the closet. Sasuke stopped at the door and leaned against the frame, a smirk plastered on his face. _

"_I am having this baby, and there is nothing you can do to make me change my mind!" Sakura screamed at him once she couldn't stand the silence another minute. _

_Sasuke raised an eyebrow, skeptical. "Oh, there is a lot I can do," he shrugged his broad shoulders._

_She shook her head furiously. "No! I want this baby. I want you to be it's father!" She cried, angrily._

_Sasuke straightened. "I'll give you an ultimatum. Either the baby goes, or I do. I will not tolerate this. If you are adamant about this baby, then I will leave, and I won't look back. I will take the money, the house, everything you own away from you. You will be left with nothing." He seemed smug with himself._

_Sakura hesitated. She didn't want that. She wanted Sasuke, no matter how absurd he was being. She would make him see, she had to. She couldn't live without him. _

_Sasuke shook his head and headed out the door. "Sasuke! Please don't leave!" Sakura sobbed. "Wait!" _

_Sasuke turned back around. He was going to deal with this now. He had had enough. HE wasn't going to listen to her cry and plead. It disgusted him. He stalked forward towards her, arms raised. Sakura saw his intent in his eyes._

"_No," she shook her head, pleading for him to stop. "No. Don't do it!" she cried hysterically. _

_Sasuke reached over and slapped her across her face, bruising her face. Sakura was stunned, but she got up and ran down the stairs and into the kitchen, trying desperately to get away from him. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest in fear, fear of what he would do to her._

_He was on her in a matter of seconds, tackling her to the ground. She took the blow to her side, turning her body so that her stomach would be safe. "No, please stop!" she cried, hoping to get through to him._

_It only motivated him further. Thrashing her legs, she connected with his groin. Scrambling to her feet, she raced to the counter, where she yanked open drawers, looking for a anything, for a weapon. Sasuke was behind her, knife in hand, and slashed at her, he grazed her, though enough for blood to spew from the wound._

_Running again, she tried to push back the pain in her arm and cheek. She needed to survive. She needed to fight back, but she was no match empty handed. She remembered he had a hand gun in the bedroom, in the closet. If she could get there before he killed her, she'd have a chance. _

_Climbing the stairs two at a time, she was shoved from behind and she fell into a table, breaking the vase full of flowers with her head and crumbled to the floor. Sasuke pulled back and kicked her in the side. A deafening snap rang out through the house, a shrill scream followed. Clutching her side, Sakura tried to crawl away, not sure of which direction she was headed. _

_Sasuke kicked her again, so hard that she flew down the stairs, catching her leg underneath her when she landed and falling on her arm breaking both. She smacked her head as she tumbled down the thirty steps. She landed in a twisted position, nothing normal._

_Why? It was the only thing that came to her mind. Why had she given him the second chance. Was this her punishment for an open heart? Was this what she got for being too nice? Did she deserve this?_

_Another thought raced through her head. Was this how he murdered Orochimaru? Was this how he killed his brother? Did he have this audacity, this intensity as he did now? _

_She closed her eyes against the pain that was pulsing throughout her body. She wanted to cry, but she found no tears fell. She was accepting her death with dignity, and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of anything. _

_His shoe was the only thing she looked at when he stopped in front of her and looked down on her. She couldn't move her head and look him in the eyes as she wanted to. She wanted to see the emotions in his eyes as he finished her off._

_Breathing was getting difficult, and the pain increased with every breath she took. This couldn't be happening. She had her whole life ahead of her. She wasn't even middle aged yet. She was not afraid of death, just afraid of being alone. This just couldn't be real._

_Real? Reality? A headache was added to the other problems as her mind tried to remember something that she felt she had locked away a long time ago. Wait. It was coming to her now. She was remembering, she had been in a forest, fighting Shauna. Her mission! This was an illusion? This wasn't real? She wasn't dying. This wasn't real!_

Suddenly, the heart monitor stopped. Sasuke's heart dropped to his stomach. He felt as though he would burst. No. It couldn't be true. Her heart would start again. It had to, or he would never forgive himself.

Tsunade backed away, her composed expression crumbling. Shizune, who had rushed in to help with other medics to back her up put a hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

A medic asked, "Time of death?" He looked solemnly at the paper on his clipboard as he started to fill it out.

Glancing at the clock, Tsunade answered quietly, "8:32."

Tears fell down Sasuke's cheeks freely, and he threw himself on Sakura's broken, dead body unashamed. Shizune tried to pull him off, but he wouldn't move; he just shook her off.

She couldn't be gone. This had to be an illusion, maybe part of the jutsu. He couldn't imagine not seeing her smiling face again as she walked down the street. She couldn't imagine the world functioning without her.

Sakura opened her eyes and found Sasuke sprawled out over her body. She was in so much pain, but she didn't even feel it. She just saw the tears stream down his face

I hope you liked it. Please review!


	8. Way More than Okay

I hope you enjoy this chapter, please review. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, make them known- It would help me make it more reader friendly. I enjoyed writing this one, and I hope you enjoy reading it. I won't update unless I can get at least six reviews. The more reviews, the faster I'll update. I want to know if I'm doing it the way everyone likes. Oh, and sorry that it is underlined. I can't get it to stop underlining. Sorry!

_**8: Way More than Okay**_

_Her first reaction was to punch him, and she would have if everyone in the room hadn't started screaming that she was awake and smothering her in hugs, but she took in his tears and had second thoughts. It seemed as if the whole village was crammed into the little room, pushing Sasuke away from her, and Sakura lost sight of him. Sakura was so utterly confused; she couldn't figure out how she was alive. _

_The last thing she remembered was Sasuke trying to kill her. Then she had realized it was all in her head, but why then did she have all the broken bones to prove what had happened? And, why was Sasuke crying over her? He hadn't cared before, why had that changed? _

"_Sakura, thank God!" Tsunade said after ordering everyone to clear out of the room. Only she remained with Sakura. "We were so worried. We though you had died!"_

"_I thought so too. What happened?" Sakura asked never more thankful to see Tsunade's tear stained face. _

_Tsunade explained the stages to the Jutsu. "That must have been one heck of a nightmare. What did you dream about?"_

_Sakura looked away; she didn't want to answer. She wasn't ready, not yet. No one would understand._

"_Okay, I get it. But, just so you know, Sasuke was the one that found you and brought you here. He never left your side. He was with you the whole way. When the physical signs started to show, you should have seen how it tore him up. He isn't as bad as you make him out to be Sakura," Tsunade told her as she headed for the door._

"_Or maybe he's the monster I always thought he was," Sakura whispered after Tsunade had shut the door behind her._

_Sakura wanted to groan. She d hospitals. Ya, she had worked in one, but she d being the patient, showing off her weakness for all to see. Now, she would have to stay here for awhile while she healed. Wonderful, cause there was nothing for her to do to pass the time._

_A knock sounded on the door, and Temari poked her head in. "Temari!" Sakura cried, thankful to see a friend. _

_Temari took a seat on the edge of the bed and very carefully gave Sakura a hug. "I was so worried about you. I'm just glad your eyes are finally open."_

"_Me too." Sakura smiled._

"_That must have been some nightmare," Temari commented._

"_A real doozy," Sakura agreed glancing around at all the flowers that lined the room. "Who are all the flowers from?"_

_Temari walked over to the baskets and vases and started reading off the names. "Ino and family. Naruto, Hinata, and family. Neji and Tenten. The handsome devil of the leaf. Me and Shikamaru. Gaara and Kankuro. Sasuke. Team 7. Another Naruto. One from Kiba. Lee. Another Ino. Sasuke. Team 8. Tsunade. Iruka. Lee. Kakashi. Asuma and Kurenei. Anko. Sasuke." Sakura noticed the flowers from Sasuke were bigger and brighter than everyone else's, though the ones from Lee were in second place. "You'd be surprised how many flowers Lee tried to send you. There wasn't enough room and they had to put them in the waiting room." Temari laughed._

"_I can't believe you came here. Gaara and Kankuro didn't leave Suna, did they?" Sakura asked aghast as to how much trouble she had caused everyone, again._

"_Gaara stayed, but I Kankuro with me, and don't worry about it. I had to come and see you. I wasn't about to let Shikamaru come to the hospital. That lazy old fool wouldn't be able to talk to you woman to woman," Temari laughed at the thought._

"_But, what about Toby and Suki?" Sakura asked referring to Temari and Shikamaru's kids, her worries not lifted. _

"_Shikamaru, Choji, and Kankuro are running babysitter today. They are watching everyone's kids while they are here at the hospital."_

_Sakura wanted to groan, "Please go tell them they can go home," she mumbled as she shifted to make herself more comfortable." Her ribs were a bit tender yet, and her leg throbbed. She was working on healing her arm._

"_Everyone but Sasuke would leave," Temari said indifferently, watching Sakura's expression._

"_So, make him leave too. I'd rather not deal with him," Sakura snapped, concentrating hard to heal her arm._

"_Sakura, he was with you the whole time. He even snuck in here with me after hours to be with you. Look, I don't like what he did to you eight years ago, but maybe it's time to move on. He seems sincerely sorry; he wants to make amends, and you are making it very difficult," Temari told her._

"_I'm being difficult for him? Oh, man. What was I thinking?" Sakura said sarcastically. "It's not like he was that way for me for all the years I've known him."_

"_You were only twelve!" Temari pointed out frustrated. "You hardly knew what you wanted back then. You weren't even teenagers yet. How could you possibly have known what love really was?"_

"_What would you know about it?" Sakura shook her head. "You weren't there. Sasuke can do what he wants, but I know I will never go back to him again. I'm through with his games."_

_Temari let out a breath and got up, heading for the door. "You know what I think? I think you still love him, but you are afraid to let those feelings out. You are afraid to make a risk. Grow up, Sakura. Sasuke has." With that, Temari left, shutting the door quietly behind her._

_Sakura wanted to pound her head against the wall. She wasn't still in love with Sasuke. That was impossible. And what was that all about with her not wanting to make a risk? Please, what did Temari know? Sakura was always making risks. That's what being a ninja was all about._

_It was easy for Temari because she and Shikamaru had been dating long before they got married. Temari had had a crush on him since the first moment she had seen him, but Shikamaru hadn't broken her heart and left her to die. Temari couldn't sympathize with her. _

_Sasuke grew up? Matured? That would be the day. Sighing, Sakura really thought about it. Sure, he __seemed_ more mature and caring than before, but it was most likely all a ruse to get her to fall for him again. She would not do that again. She didn't think her heart could take being rejected again. Not again.

He was the reason she wasn't already settled down with a family. She had relationship issues, or so her last boyfriend said. He told her that she didn't know how to give her heart and take the love he wanted to give her. Whatever. She didn't need love. She had her job, and that was all that mattered to her.

Sakura closed her eyes and imagined a life with Sasuke. Would he really beat her down? Would he want to kill her if she wound up pregnant? Would her nightmare come true? What if it wasn't a dream, but a vision of what was to come? What if it was warning her against what everyone seemed to want for her and what her heart seemed to want? Slowly, Sakura drifted off to sleep thinking of how her life would be with Sasuke taking a part in it.

When Sakura awoke, Sasuke was stroking her palm. He seemed to be lost in thought, and he looked hurt, sad.

Sakura jerked her hand away from him, and he looked up at her, startled. "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were awake," he mumbled as he scooted his chair farther from her, obviously knowing how she felt about him.

"So, you can touch me while I sleep?" Sakura frowned.

"N-no, of course not," Sasuke struggled for words.

"Whatever. Why are you here?" Sakura refused to look him in the eyes.

"I came in to check on you, but you were asleep."

"So, you decided to watch me sleep?"

"Yes. No. I don't know. I wanted to talk to you, so I decided to wait for you to wake up."

"What do you care if I wake u ot? As far as you are concerned, you shouldn't even be here! You left me, remember! You can't just come back and expect me to forgive and forget. I'm not the same naïve, twelve year old you knew."

He leaned in towards her, "Maybe that's why I've fallen for you." Sakura was stunned. She had suspected he liked her, but it was different hearing it said out loud. "I mean, when I left, I soon realized I didn't want to stay away from you."

"Stop," Sakura insisted. "I don't want to hear this." She was afraid of what he would say and how she would react.

Sasuke ignored her and continued, "About six months after I left, I came back for a brief moment, intent on taking you with me. I went to your house and glanced into your window. You were crying, and I knew it was because I had hurt you. I figured that if I stayed away, you'd be happy, so I left. But, that doesn't mean I didn't think about you, because I did. I thought about you every day. I told myself I wouldn't come back until I had matured enough so that when I did come back I would be strong enough to protect you, even from myself. Sakura, I was under the same jutsu as you, and I dreamed that you didn't give me that second chance, and it killed you."

Sakura couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was about to respond when Tsunade barged into the room. "Sakura, good news. You are stable enough to leave." Tsunade walked over to her and grabbed the broken arm and healed it the rest of the way so that it felt as good as new. "Your leg is broken too badly for me to heal it all the way. You are just going to have to get it better the old fashioned way, though the process should be quicker. Just come in for physical therapy every other day to speed it along."

Sakura sat up and placed her leg ever so gently over the edge of the bed, wincing when her leg and ribs protested.

"As for you ribs, those are just sore, and they will be for a few weeks. But, you should be able to get around on these." Tsunade handed her some crutches. "As for your living arrangements, I don't want you by yourself, and the only place with room for you is the Uchiha compound, which will be where you are staying. It should be fun for you two."

"I am perfectly fine with staying at my place by myself. Don't worry about that," Sakura protested.

"Don't be stupid Sakura. As your hokage, I order you to stay with Sasuke so he can watch over you."

Sakura wanted to collapse and cry. Why her? Why did everything bad always happen to her and then compound themselves on top of her?

"I'll take that as a yes. Now, let's get you home," Tsunade helped Sakura to her feet. With Sasuke on the other side, they made their way out of the room and down the hall. In the waiting room was Naruto, Hinata, Temari, Lee, Ino, and Kiba. They raced to her side and talked all at once about how happy they were that she was awake and well.

"Thanks guys, but I really just want to get to bed. Thanks for worrying about me and being here. I appreciate it," Sakura found her smile wasn't forced.

"Okay everyone, go home. I think Sasuke needs to get Sakura home," Tsunade said. No one seemed surprised by this news. Sakura frowned. Tsunade had probably discussed it with them. Where they all trying to get Sasuke and her together?

Sakura waved goodbye and headed outside with Sasuke at her side. "So, we are going to have to walk all the way to your house?" Sakura asked, a bit put out by the thought.

"_I_ will have to walk the whole way; you will just be along for the ride," Sasuke answered as he whisked her off her feet, bridal style and headed home. Sakura kept a firm grip on the crutches, and refused to put her arms around his neck, as her arms seemed to want to do.

Why did she have to feel attracted to him? He had hurt her big time, and here she was falling hard and fast again. But, if her nightmare was any indication, she needed to stay away from him to protect her heart from being torn into teensy, tiny pieces all over again.

"I want to talk to you when we get to the house," Sasuke broke the silence first with his deep, gentle voice. "About… us."

"There is no us," Sakura said defiantly. She was not going to make this easy for him, he hadn't for her. She didn't owe him a thing.

Sasuke didn't say anything; he just looked away crestfallen. Sakura felt a pang of guilt creep into her heart like a parasite. She wanted to reach out and cup his face with her hands, but she resisted, gripping the crutches even tighter. She was not going to break down.

Sakura was afraid to admit that Temari had been right about her liking Sasuke, but being afraid to admit it to the world. She had been afraid to admit it because if she said it out loud than it would be real, and she didn't know if she was emotionally ready for that. Would she be able to handle it?

Finally, they reached the Uchiha compound, and Sasuke carried her inside and set her gently on the sofa. He took a seat opposite her on the coffee table and fought the urge to reach over and grab her hands in his. Sakura glanced around, impressed by how spacious and homey it was. A sudden thought raced into her head. _A nice place to start a family._ Sakura wanted to slap herself silly. Where had that come from? She needed to concentrate on the here and now.

The whole while he had been walking, he had been trying to come up with an effective way to talk to her, to get through to her. To get her to see that he really had her best interests at hear, but how would he get her to actually listen to him?

He decided to plunge right in before he lost the nerve, "Sakura, we are both s, and I feel we should talk about his frankly. Hear me out before you go and start shouting. But, listen with your head and heart, okay? Can you do that? I'll listen to everything you say when I'm finished talking."

She folded her arms across her chest. She wasn't going to make this easy for him, "Sure, whatever."

He took a deep breath and looked her in the eyes. "Sakura, I have fallen in love with you, and I feel that you have feelings for me, but you won't let them out. You are afraid, afraid of me. I wish I can take back what I did to you eight years ago, but I can't. I just want a second chance to make it up to you. I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if I have to. Sakura, I'll do anything for you. You can tell me to leave, but I don't think I could do it. Please give me a second chance."

Sakura wanted to believe him, she really did. But, "What if things don't work out between us? What if we both end up hurt. Look Sasuke, you are the reason I'm not settled down. I had my life mapped out. I knew what I wanted, but ever since you left, I can't seem to follow through with it. It's like something won't let me. It's because when you left, you took a piece of my soul with you. I can't risk hurting my heart again, I can't take it."

"I realize I hurt you, Sakura, I really do. Maybe by us getting together, I can put your soul back together," Sasuke pleaded with his eyes.

Sakura gazed into those pure onyx eyes, and knew he was telling her the truth, but what if he couldn't help hurting her. "Sasuke, I'm not going to lie, I have mixed feelings about you, and I need time to think them through and figure everything out. I can't tell whether or not I want to give us a try or if I just want to return back home-"

Sasuke cut her off by grabbing her head and pulling her to him, pressing his lips on hers. He just heard the words returning back home and freaked. She couldn't leave him because he didn't think he could just let her go. Sasuke ran his hand through her silky, pink hair. His adrenaline started pumping a mile a minute, and Sasuke fought not to pressure her further.

Sakura had been caught off guard, but she melted into it opening up to him, deepening the kiss. She found herself wrapping her arms around his neck. One hand stroked her hair, the other was running along her arm. Sakura found herself wishing they could go to the next level, just to see what it would be like. She wanted him, and she wanted him now.

Sasuke found Sakura totally willing to go all the way, and he struggled with the right decision. He knew he should stop, see what she really had to say, not what her body wanted, though that was good for him, but he wanted their first time to be special.

When Sakura started tugging on his shirt, he couldn't hold himself off and delved farther, kissing her jaw, her neck, any place he could reach just to make her his. He had always dreamed of this, but now it was coming real. existed.

Sorry, I can't get it to not underline. It's like this computer has a mind of its own. I didn't intend for it to be underlined. But, that aside, I hope you liked it. Please review! Remember, At least 6 reviews if you want me to update. The more reviews, the faster I'll update. Thanks!


	9. After Thought

I hope you enjoy this chapter, please review. If you have any suggestions, comments, or questions, make them known- It would help me make it more reader friendly. I enjoyed writing this one, and I hope you enjoy reading it. I won't update unless I can get at least 6 reviews. The more reviews, the faster I'll update. I want to know if I'm doing it the way everyone likes.

A/N: sorry it took so long for me to update, but I hope to go faster now. Thanks for the patience!

**9: After Thought**

A month later, Sakura was at the hospital trying to get her leg back to normal. The cast was off, thank God, and she no longer needed crutches, though she walked with a limp. The soreness in her ribs was almost completely gone. All thanks to Sasuke.

Yes, she had thought of Sasuke in a positive way for a change, as she had been for the past month. It actually brought a smile to her face to think about him.

"You're looking a bit red, Sakura. Are you feeling okay? Don't overexert yourself," Shizune warned coming over to see how things were coming.

Embarrassed, Sakura nodded her head. Everyone told her she glowed nowadays, and maybe that was true. She was getting closer to Sasuke, and that was fine with her. The nightmare still made her a bit confused at times, but Sasuke quickly vanquished all of those thoughts every time he touched her. He was so gentle and caring.

Sakura thought back to that morning…

_Sakura awoke in Sasuke's arms. Confused, she looked around and found herself in his bed, naked. He had carried her into the room afterwards. Looking up, she found him staring down at her._

"_Good morning," he said kissing her forehead. _

"_Ya," Sakura replied as everything from the night's events tumbled back to her. She remembered how gentle he had been with her ribs and leg. He had been careful not to hurt her, and he had kissed her all over until her whole body had gone numb with pleasure. _

_Did this mean she accepted him now? Did she really want him back in her life? Was she ready to move on? She wasn't sure. What she did know was that he cared for her, genuinely cared. He loved her, there was no doubt about that. He was truly sorry for what he did, but he had been barely thirteen- just a kid. Could she hold a grudge against a kid? Shouldn't that be good enough. What was left?_

_Then it hit her. She was no longer falling in love with him, she had landed. She was in love with him; it had happened without her realizing it. Now, she was in too deep and didn't know how to dig herself out or if she even could. Though, at the moment, she didn't want to try. She just wanted to be with him, in that moment._

"_I love you Sakura," Sasuke told her, hugging her tighter._

"_I love you too, Sasuke," Sakura admitted, surprised that it was much easier to say out loud than she had thought possible. It was easy to tell the truth._

"_Does this mean you don't hate me now, and we can tell the whole world about us?" Sasuke smiled._

"_Yes and no. I don't hate you, but I'd rather keep this between us. I want to see how well this pans out for the next week and then we can decide what to do," Sakura answered. She was afraid if others knew, he would leave her again. _

"_Fair enough." he said as he rolled on top of her and kissed her passionately._

It had been a month, and they were connecting in a way Sakura hadn't thought possible. They were bonded together so fully it scared her. She would die if Sasuke decided to leave now. He just couldn't leave her.

Sasuke strolled down the streets of Konoha while Sakura was in therapy. He decided to make a pit stop at the ramen shop for a quick snack before going back to pick her up. He had hopped to take her out for supper that night at the village's fanciest restaurant. He wanted to propose. Even though they had been techniquely dating for a month, they had known each other their whole lives; and Sasuke didn't want to wait another moment. He wanted to start a family of his own, a new legacy.

Deciding he wanted to wait to eat until later, he turned around and headed back. He hated being separated from Sakura for very long, and he couldn't wait to take her out.

Sakura was done early, and since Sasuke wasn't back yet, she decided to check in with Tsunade. She hadn't seen much of her lately. Knocking, Sakura strolled in taking a seat opposite the desk.

Tsunade glanced up, her expression worrisome. "Just the person I wanted to see. I'm glad you came here, took care of me having to summon you," she said, forcing a smile.

Sakura frowned. "What is it?" Sakura couldn't think of what could be the problem. Was it her mother? Sakura hadn't seen much of her lately, as Shizune took care of her for Sakura since Sakura couldn't get around very easily.

"Remember that physical you took last week?" Tsunade asked cautiously, wondering if Sakura already knew or not. She bet on the latter.

Sakura nodded. "What about it? I'm okay, aren't I? Is there something wrong with me?"

"Well," Tsunade cringed. "Depends on how you look at it."

"What do you mean? Just tell me. Enough with these riddles," Sakura spat annoyed with Tsunade. She didn't usually beat around the bush; she was usually more direct.

"Well, according to the physical, you're pregnant. I'm assuming it's Sasuke's," Tsunade told her and went on with a few more details, but Sakura was no longer listening.

She was pregnant? Sakura didn't know whether or not she wanted to leap with joy or cry in exasperation. What if he didn't want kids? What if he beat her for it like he had in her nightmare? What ifs- she hated them.

"Wait, why do you think it's Sasuke's?" Sakura asked, unsure of how to proceed.

"Please, I might be old, but I'm not blind. I can see that you two have become quite close over the past month. Heck, the whole village is talking about you two," Tsunade answered with a shake of her head.

Sakura couldn't say anything, she was too preoccupied with how anyone could have found out about them. They had kept it quiet and had kept to themselves.

"Do you want to tell Sasuke, or shall I? What would be easier for you?" Tsunade asked concerned with Sakura's quietness.

"I'll do it." Sakura got up and hobbled to the door. She didn't know how or when she would tell him, but she would have to. He deserved to know.

Sasuke found Sakura sitting on the bench outside staring off into the distance waiting for him. "Sorry I'm late, I guess I walked a little farther than I had intended. Did you get out early? I thought I would have time to spare," Sasuke said as he helped her to her feet.

"Ya, Shizune let me go early, saying that I'm progressing really well," she smiled. "I didn't mind the wait. I love being outside."

"Come on, I have a special night planned, and I need you to go home and change into something beautiful," Sasuke told her as he walked beside her, matching her stride for stride.

She cocked her head to the side, "Really? What's the occasion?" For a moment, he thought he saw a glimmer of fear zip through her eyes, as though he had found out something he shouldn't. But, it was gone as fast as it had appeared.

"Oh, I figured I'd celebrate our anniversary," Sasuke said, smiling his heart melting smile at her.

"But, our one month anniversary is in four days, not today," Sakura frowned, obviously confused.

"I'm not talking about that," When her frown deepened, he shook his head, "I'll tell you over dinner. Now, dinner will be in an hour, so you might have to hurry up. I'll give you the house to yourself. I'll get ready at Naruto's and I'll pick you up in forty-five minutes."

"Okay," she nodded, obviously pleased by his thoughtfulness, though confused as to what the occasion was.

"Great. I'll see you in a few." They had made it to the house, and Sasuke jogged back down the walk and disappeared from view leaving Sakura dazed on the front porch.

Opening the door, Sakura wondered if she should tell him about her news. She needed to. She had to.

Forty minutes later, Sakura emerged from her and Sasuke's room in a slender black and hot pink kimono that showed off her curves in all the right places. She had curled her hair and left it dangling on top of her shoulders the way she knew Sasuke liked it. She had to put flats on since she couldn't hobble on heels with crutches.

Five minutes later on the dot, a knock could be heard on the door. Opening it, she found Sasuke standing at the threshold in black pants and a white shirt. A slight smile splashed over his mouth. She was mouth watering.

He helped her down the steps, and walked her through the village, stopping in front of the most expensive place in the whole village. This must be some occasion, Sakura thought.

He ushered her inside, but just as they sat down, a messenger ninja approached them. "You two are needed by the third hokage. Quickly now."

Frowning, they rose and followed the Shinobi to the hokage's office. Sasuke wanted to curse his bad luck. He was about to make a giant leap in faith. Was this a sign? He certainly hoped not.

Sakura wanted to kill Tsunade. She wanted to know what the occasion was, and she figured she'd have to wait a while to ask him. Hoping this wasn't a sign, she followed as fast as she could.

Upon entering Tsunade's office, they noticed that the old gang was there. Shikamaru, Choji, Shino, Neji, Tenten, Lee, Naruto, Hinata, and Kiba. Ino wasn't there because she was pregnant, so she was probably watching everyone's kids. The two of them stood beside Naruto and waited for Tsunade's orders.

"We have been declared in war, and we need you all at the front line to defend the village. You are our strongest offense, and we need you. Sakura, you won't be fighting, just healing. You aren't… well enough to fight yet," Tsunade almost said you aren't fighting when you're pregnant, but Sakura gave her a look.

"Who's declared war on us?" Shikamaru asked.

"Some village that worshiped Orochimaru. They want their revenge and will stop at nothing until they get what they want, which is you Sasuke. So, be careful. Everyone, you are to keep an eye on each other and do not let them get Sasuke no matter what. Understood?" Tsunade replied.

Everyone nodded and took off, ready to face our enemies. They lined up at the entrance to the village with Sakura back in the confines of a building where the injured were to be treated.

She was ready to fight them off. No one was taking Sasuke away from her, not again. Not with her being able to do something.

I hope you liked it. Please review! Remember, At least 5 reviews if you want me to update. The more reviews, the faster I'll update. Thanks!


	10. Fight for What's Right

I am still alive. Wow, I feel like I haven't been on in awhile. Sorry about that guys, but I have been really busy and haven't had much opportunity to get on. Anyway, here is the next chapter. Please review. I'd still like 6 reviews before I update. I'll go fast this time if I get reviews fast. Enjoy!

**10: Fight for What's Right**

Sakura, bent over a fellow Shinobi of the Leaf Village, worked hard to heal the gaping whole in his stomach. The war had commenced and ninjas were falling on both sides, one right after the other, and it was hard for her and the medic unit to keep up. Their was only four of them, including Shizune. Tsunade was out fighting/ healing, and Sakura wished she could do the same.

Though she was busy, she found herself distracted as she hoped Sasuke was alright. She found herself coming up with all the horrible scenarios that could have happened to him already, and she hadn't even told him the news of her pregnancy, though even now, she was scared to. She couldn't decide if he would be happy about the matter or not; her nightmare had scared her for life.

"Thank you, Miss Haruno," the man wheezed when the hole had disappeared and the blood's source gone.

Sakura nodded and stepped outside to see if any others were coming. She saw a flash of orange, Naruto, go down in a heap with a bunch of enemy ninja on top of him. He looked really tired, and Sakura didn't know if he would be able to fend them off. For the longest time, he didn't move. Sakura couldn't just stand there and watch helplessly on the sidelines.

Sakura darted out into the dangerous crowd of ninja and ran to Naruto's rescue, using her jutsu's to get rid of the ninja. Naruto got up drearily, "Thanks, Sakura, but you should have stayed in the building."

"Naruto, I feel I'm needed more out here. I can do what Tsunade is doing. Don't worry about it. I'll be fine. Where's Sasuke?" Sakura replied gazing into the crowd, but she didn't see the raven haired love of her life.

"I don't know, I lost sight of him at the entrance. Most likely, Shikamaru is with him. No worries. No one is going to be taking him anywhere. Sasuke can handle himself," Naruto assured her. "I'm going to go find Hinata, I lost sight of her to, and I want to make sure she's okay. Just be careful, Sakura."

Sakura nodded and took off in search of Sasuke, but an enemy kunoichi ambushed her, kicking her in the jaw and sending her sprawling. Sakura maneuvered so that she landed lightly on her feet. She needed to be careful. She didn't want to miscarry. She knew it was foolish to run out in the open, but she needed to make sure Sasuke was okay. She needed to lay her fears to rest.

The kunoichi used mainly Taijustu, and Sakura tried to distance herself from the ninja, but she came at her harder and swifter. Sakura managed to block all the blows with her hands, but she didn't think she'd be able to keep it up forever.

Sakura got hit in the mouth and shoulder a few times, but Sakura had dealt even more damage to the Shinobi, knocking her down and out. Sakura ached all over, wondering how on earth she could find Sasuke without getting attacked again, just to make sure he was safe and in one piece. She wouldn't be able to live with herself if he died out here, alone.

Sasuke had obviously been the target. As soon as the enemy had infiltrated the village, they had swarmed around him, and he wondered how he was going to be able to fend them all off, but his allies helped him. Naruto being his main savior, taking the blunt of the forces for him. Stupid idiot. He could handle himself. Naruto just needed to watch out for himself.

Sasuke just hoped Sakura was safe in the confines of the medic building healing those that needed it and not worrying herself silly about him. He would never admit it aloud, but he worried about her.

Sooner than he had hoped, Shinobi from both sides were falling. His comrades were being pulled out to the medic ward. He had lost sight of most of his friends. He silently hoped that everyone was okay.

Surveying the area, he caught a glimpse of pink hair. Sakura! What was she doing out here? Running to her side, he found her breathing heavily, with a split lip and many bruises over her delicate skin.

"Sakura, what are you doing here?" he asked as they stood back to back blocking enemy attacks.

"I had to make sure you were okay. I couldn't just sit there and wonder. I needed to know. I want to be by your side," she answered determinedly.

"You needn't worry about me. You should be more concerned with yourself."

"Sasuke, I'm a kunoichi who has excepted the risks that come with it. You need to understand that I don't find it cute and sweet that you don't want me to fight. I can handle myself. I'm not twelve anymore."

Sasuke was about to argue. He hadn't meant to make it sound like he didn't think she was strong enough to handle it, cause she was; he just couldn't bear the thought of losing someone else that was close to him from his life. He didn't think he'd be able to live through that again.

Somehow, the two were separated, but momentarily. Sasuke quickly found her defending herself. He thought she looked funny, the way she was trying so hard to keep her mid-section so well guarded. But, he didn't think much of it. He killed the ninja attacking her with a swift slash of his kunei.

Sakura, knowing that they could very well die out here any second, turned to Sasuke, "Sasuke, I want to tell you something. Something very serious." She wanted to tell him that she was pregnant. Give him something to fight for, to really fight to stay alive for: motivation. She blocked another ninja attack and killed him with a shuriken to the neck.

Sasuke, coming to the same conclusion, said, "I have to tell you something serious too." He wanted to propose to her, tell her how much he deeply cared for her. How much he loved her. How much he wanted to spend the rest of his life by her side. He wanted to marry her. He sent an enemy flying into one of their brethren. "You go first," he told her. He was a little nervous. What man wouldn't be?

"I'm- I mean, we are going-" her scream cut off the rest of the sentence. Turning, Sasuke found her being lifted into the night. Her screaming stopped suddenly, but only to be replaced by his own scream.

He raced off into the forest after them, though he could no longer sense or see them. He ran until his lungs felt as though they would burst. He fell to his knees in defeat. He didn't know where they had gone. Suddenly, Naruto and Shikamaru were behind him. Naruto, with tears in his eyes, knelt down and placed his hand on Sasuke's shoulder.

"We'll find her," he promised. "Believe it."

"I have to believe that. I have to," Sasuke mumbled out loud, more to himself than anyone else.

"Don't beat yourself up about this either. It wasn't your fault. It was no one's fault. It couldn't have been prevented. You must know this," Shikamaru told him in his attempt to make Sasuke feel better.

Sasuke just shook his head. He didn't trust his voice. He wasn't going to let them see him in his moment of weakness. The two of them weren't making him feel any better. They were making it worse.

Sasuke suddenly wondered what Sakura was going to tell him. And, he felt a stab at his heart for not blurting out his proposal while he still had the chance. But, he was going to find her so that he could tell her and so that she would have the chance to tell him what she had meant to tell him.

I hope you liked it. Please review! Sorry again that I didn't update real fast!


	11. Important! Please Read

Okay, I want to know if you guys want a happily ever after ending, or a sad, but hopeful ending. Just post reviews so that I know what you guys want. I need a lot of reviews so that I can get a taste of what everyone wants so there aren't unsatisfied readers. I really need to know because I can't start the next chapter without knowing. But, I need a lot of reviews.


	12. A Sliver of Hope

Sorry this one is kind of short, but I hope you like it nonetheless. Please review!

**Chapter 11 A Sliver of Hope**

Finding Sakura alive was looking slimmer and slimmer. It was about seven months after the initial attack, and no trace of her could be found. Sasuke had gone back out to find Sakura everyday for the past month, but nothing indicated where she was.

Naruto had found blood up in the mountains, but there was no way of knowing if it was hers or not. There seemed to be nothing anyone could do.

Tsunade had informed them that there had been others that had been captured, and slowly, over the past month, most had been found dead scattered along the grove of trees surrounding the village. Most of the villagers figured all the hostages were dead and wanted a funeral, but Tsunade wouldn't hear of it. Not all the bodies were accounted for, so there wasn't going to be a funeral for someone that could very well be alive.

Except for Sasuke and all of Sakura's close friends, everyone had gone back to the normal routine of life. They acted as if it was just another everyday occurrence, but Sasuke never doubted that he would find Sakura alive and well.

Bags under his eyes were a beacon for everyone saying he spent much of his nights out and about. Nothing else mattered, and most of the villagers called him fool hearted. Maybe he was a fool, but he was a fool in love.

Two months later. "Sasuke, let's go," Naruto poked his head into the shop. He spoke with such urgency that Sasuke didn't question him until they were out running through the village towards the forest.

"What's going on?" Sasuke asked.

"There has been a report. Someone thinks they saw Sakura. I thought you might want to check it out with me," Naruto shrugged.

Sasuke didn't have to reply, Naruto knew how much he was happy to have been given the choice. Sasuke was afraid to hope, afraid to think. What if it wasn't her? What if she was found dead, not alive?

Pushing those dreary thoughts from his head, he thought only of seeing her face again. Pushing himself faster, he left Naruto in his dust. He wanted to see Sakura first. Searching the through the trees, he glanced something pink and followed it.

Suddenly, he felt a hand grab his throat and thrust him against a tree. Opening his eyes, he saw the person he had been searching for right in front of him. Though, she was much paler. A symbol on her forehead suggested that she was being possessed. Her normal emerald green eyes were now almost black with hatred. Sasuke wanted to gape at her. She was so different. So powerful.

"Sakura, please. It's me!" Sasuke pleaded, struggling against her hold on his neck. Her hand didn't budge.

"Keep pleading. It'll only make your demise that much sweeter," Sakura smiled grimly. If Sasuke didn't know any better, he'd wonder who this really was.

"Sasuke!" Naruto crashed through the brush and knocked Sakura back. Sasuke dropped to his knees as he gasped for breath.

"She's being possessed. Find the ones behind it and take them out. I'll handle Sakura," Sasuke ordered.

"Are you sure?"

"Go!"

Naruto disappeared, and Sasuke finally got a good look at Sakura. Her stomach was huge! She was pregnant?! With whose kid? Was it his?

Suddenly a dark voice pierced the night air, "Well, if it isn't Sasuke Uchiha. Here to meet your demise?" A man with black hair and eyes appeared behind Sakura. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her full on the lips.

"What have you done to Sakura?" Sasuke demanded. He wanted to ask who knocked her up, but he was afraid of the answer.

"Why, I merely showed her what life would be like outside the leaf village," he answered.

"She never would have gone to your side of her own will. What did you do to her?" Sasuke charged at him and pinned him to the ground.

He only laughed. "It wasn't easy, I'll admit. She has an iron will, but once I broke it, I broke her. She does anything I ask of her without any hesitation."

"Whose kid is it?"

"Mine, of course. I need an heir to carry on my legacy."

Sasuke's blood was ready to boil. It just couldn't be true. He refused to believe it. There was no way he could bring himself to believe it, for if he did, his will would surely die with him.

"No. You lie!" Sasuke was ready to slash at him with his kunei, but a hand grabbed his wrist and threw him off of the man that had stolen Sakura from him.

Back flipping, he pushed off of a tree and landed on his feet. Sakura placed herself between Sasuke and him. She would fight to the death in order to save him. Sasuke stood up. He had always said that Sakura would be the death of him.

Sasuke figured that if he killed the guy, then his hold over Sakura would be broken. But, how was he supposed to get to him without hurting Sakura as well?

Proceeding with caution, Sasuke took tiny steps forward wondering how he was going to win in this situation. Suddenly, Sakura charged at him and beat him across the area, where Sasuke landed with a thud against a tree.

Picking himself up, he was unprepared for when Sakura was on top of him again, beating his face into the ground. She pulled back, ready to finish him off when her hand wavered.

"Sakura, please. You know I love you. Don't kill me. Please. Wake up. Don't let this creep control you. You're stronger than that. Please." Sasuke pleaded, not knowing if the real Sakura could hear him at all.

"I love… S- Mitsume," she mumbled.

"That's right. She loves me," Mitsume came up behind her and eased her off of him, so he could pick Sasuke up and throw him against another tree. "You mean absolutely nothing to him. Face it, your old news."

Rising to his feet, Sasuke wiped the blood from his face. "Your word means nothing to me. She hesitated against you, Mitsume. You aren't all powerful like you think. Just face it. Her love for me out wins your undying evil."

Mitsume ran at Sasuke again, but Sasuke was ready and slashed him across the chest with a shuriken. Then, Sasuke kicked him in the stomach and sent him flying against a tree.

"I want her back, and I think that by killing you, your hold over her will vanish," Sasuke told him.

"Very perceptive, but you have to actually be able to hold up your end. You won't be able to touch me again. Sakura, attack!"

Sakura lunged at Sasuke with kunei in hand. Sasuke dodged. "Sakura, snap out of it. Don't let this guy keep his hold over you. You're stronger than that!" Sasuke figured if he kept talking to her, she would slowly be able to come out of it.

"He has no hold over me. I fight for him of my own free will," Sakura told him, her voice monotone.

Sasuke knew better, but it still stung to hear her actually say it. He just kept dodging her wild attacks.

He had seen a glimmer of hope. He just needed to find it again.

Please review so that I know you all like or dislike it.


	13. Strength and Love

Okay, so only one more chapter left. It'll be more of a epilogue. I loved this chapter, and I'm glad you all enjoyed it. Please review!

**Chapter 12 Strength and Love**

"I'll be taking this, thank you," Naruto yanked off the pendent. He couldn't believe the retrieval team, who were supposed to clean up after Sasuke, Sakura, and his mess with Gonzo, Shauna, and Bo, hadn't taken care of them. They had seemed like such second rate criminals.

But, they had died trying to get the pendent back, and Naruto had just escaped with his life. His arm was badly broken, his leg had deep gashes, and there was a gaping hole in his stomach, that was slowly trying to heal with the help of his red chakra. He had a migraine like no other, and he ached everywhere. With no chakra left, he would be lucky to get back to Sasuke alive. He needed to destroy the pendent to free Sakura, but he couldn't do it with no chakra. Sasuke's chidori would do the job.

_Hinata, I will come home for you. I won't die out here. I will not leave you a widow. _Naruto's love for his family pushed him forward. He had total faith in his strength to make it home.

"Lady Tsunade!" Shizune burst into the Hokage's office.

"What is it?" Tsunade asked impatiently. She had too much paper work for distractions, and wasn't that what Shizune always preached?

"Sasuke and Naruto ran off after hearing rumors of Sakura out on the perimeters of the village, as you already know, but now Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, Kiba, Neji, and Tenten are missing! None of them showed up for work today."

Tsunade swiveled her chair to look out the window. "I wouldn't be so concerned."

"Why is that?"

"I have a feeling they all went to see if rumors of Sakura's appearance is accurate."

"I'm afraid I have more bad news."

Tsunade waited patiently for Shizune to continue.

"As you know, we have lost contact with the retrieval team for months. The retrieval team we sent to take out Shauna, Bo, and Gonzo have turned up dead. The criminals and the pendent are missing."

"Guys, what if we are going on another goose chase?" asked Ino as she pushed off from a low branch.

"I don't think so. The way Naruto rushed out like that. I'd bet Sakura's really here, and I'm thinking she's probably possessed or something," Hinata replied.

"What makes you say that?" asked Tenten.

"Think about it," Neji cut in. "If she wasn't she'd already be in the village with the guys. Something is holding them up. What else could it be?"

"Ya, well, I hope we can help."

"I love him, and you are just going to have to deal with that Sasuke," Sakura told him.

"You can't mean that. Sakura, what were you going to tell me before we were ordered to defend the village?" Sasuke asked.

"I-" she hesitated, glancing over at Mitsume.

"Finish him!" he ordered.

Turning back to Sasuke, the hope in her eyes had vanished. They were back to the black green they had been when he had first seen her. "Sasuke. Die!"

She lunged with kunei in hand. Slashing his chest, Sasuke scrambled away from her. He tried to staunch the blood flow with his hands; it was a deep gash. Sakura made her way over to Sasuke.

"Sasuke," she whispered. She held the kunei out, aimed at his heart. "You are-"

"Sakura!" a familiar voice called out, stopping Sakura short. Turning, Sakura saw Naruto holding the pendent they had been assigned to retrieve all those months ago. "Sasuke, this is what controls her. Destroy it with your chidori!" Naruto threw the pendent, but Mitsume caught it.

"Nice try, but I'm not that easy to get rid of." Mitsume held the pendent over his head. "Sakura, destroy them now!"

Sakura turned her attention back to Sasuke, but the sound of shattered glass could be heard through out the land. Sakura fell to her knees, unconscious. The spell had been broken.

Neji and everyone else appeared with smug looks on their faces. "Looks like we got here just in time," Kiba commented.

Neji and Kiba raced after Mitsume to finish this fight once and for all.

"Sakura, wake up. Come on, open your eyes," Sasuke's voice found its way into Sakura's subconscious and pulled her into the hospital room.

Upon seeing Sasuke's face, she reached for him. "Sasuke," she sobbed into his chest as he stroked her hair. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean anything I said."

"So, you remember everything?" he asked.

"Yes."

"It wasn't you, don't worry about it."

"But, I hurt you. I could have killed you."

"But you didn't."

They held each other and rocked for several minutes, just relishing in the moment of togetherness. Sasuke breathed in Sakura's scent. She had been so pale, so white, so close to death so many times. But, he wasn't going to let it happen again. He was going to protect her.

Sakura buried her face in Sasuke's muscular chest. It had been so long since she had hugged him. Looking into his onyx eyes, she leaned up and kissed him, savoring his sweet flavor. He kissed her back with such vigor and love.

Someone cleared their throat. Turning, but not breaking apart, they found Tsunade in the doorway. "I thought you'd like to meet someone," she said, turning to usher in Shizune, who was a bundle in her arms.

"Sakura, meet your son," Tsunade told her as Shizune lowered the sleeping baby into Sakura's arms.

"When? I don't remember," Sakura shook her head as she gazed upon her beautiful son, her and Sasuke's son.

"You've been unconscious for about a week. In order to save the baby, I had to deliver him as soon as you were brought in, otherwise he would have died," Tsunade explained. "He was well taken care of, Sasuke was with you both as much as was allowed."

With that, the two left the happy family alone to talk.

"Sasuke, what I wanted to tell you that day was that I was pregnant with your child," Sakura told him.

Sasuke smiled. "He's beautiful. He's has your eyes."

"Ya, but he has your everything else," Sakura said, "Which makes him even cuter."

"I love you both."

"And we love you."

They kissed again.

"But, I think we should give him a name." Sakura thought a moment. "How about Hari?"

"It's perfect."

Later that day, Sakura and Sasuke walked out of the hospital with Hari in Sakura's arms. Outside, the whole village seemed to be waiting for them, cheering when the doors opened.

Sasuke stopped Sakura just outside the door. "Just a second." He dug around in his jacket for something and dropped the keys. As he bent down to pick them up, he gazed into Sakura's eyes and pulled out a black, velvet box. Opening it to reveal a huge diamond ring, he said, "Sakura, I promise to love, cherish, and protect all the days of my life, through good and bad. I want to make a family with you, with more kids other than Hari. Will you marry me?"

Sakura's eyes sparkled with tears. "Yes!"

Sasuke slipped the ring onto her left ring finger and gave her another kiss. The crowd of onlookers went wild. Cheering and clapping for the happy new family.

Please review so that I know you all like or dislike it.


	14. The Happily Every After

Okay, so it's the final chapter! Hope you enjoy! Please review! As my final wish, could we have 100 reviews for the whole story? Please? It's the one thing I'm begging for!

**Epilogue: Happily Ever After**

_And so, the happy couple had a beautiful wedding on the coast of the sea with the sun setting, casting wondrous rays of red, pink, and purple into the evening sky. And for an even bigger surprise, the bride's mother was able to attend the wedding because her health had been steadily improving._

_After the wedding, the couple went on a two week honeymoon in a far off land while the bride's mother watched over their ten month old son. It was during the honeymoon that they conceived their second child, a beautiful baby girl named Kasara._

"Is that me, mommy?" asked the three year old girl, who, conveniently, had the same name as the baby girl in the story.

Sakura smiled. "Yes, it is. Now, please go to sleep, or I'll have your father come in and make you go to sleep."

Kasara squealed in delight at their little game and shoved her head under her covers with stray strands of pink hair peeking out from underneath. She peeked her onyx colored eyes out from under her sheets to look up at her mother.

Sakura leaned in and kissed her daughter good night before heading to the door and turning out the light. "Sleep tight, Kasara." She shut the door gently behind her before she moved on to her five and a half year old son's, Hari's, room.

"Hey, sport," Sakura found him in his bathroom that adjoined his room brushing his teeth. "You about ready for bed?"

"In a sec, mom. Dad says I need to go for at least a minute," Hari replied as he used his clock to count the seconds. Sasuke was sitting on the bathtub watching him

"Your dad's a smart one," Sakura smiled at her husband as she leaned up against the doorframe of the bathroom.

Sasuke grinned as he got up and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "I better go tell Kasara good night."

"She's waiting for you."

As soon as Hari was finished, he ran into his room and jumped on his bed. Sakura joined him, leaning up against the bed frame.

"Mom, when is Uncle Naruto and Aunt Hinata coming over? I want to play with Hiro and Akito," Hari asked.

"Naruto's family, Neji's family, Shikamaru's family, Ino's family, and everyone else is coming over tomorrow for the BBQ, remember?" She ruffled his raven black hair as she kissed him on the forehead.

"Ugh, Mom, that's not cool. I'm almost six. Six year olds don't get kisses from their mommy," Hari said through the giggles.

"Then I have a few more months to give you as many kisses as I can." She grabbed him and ran kisses over his head while tickling his sides. He giggled and screamed before she would let up. "Now, go to sleep. You've got a big day tomorrow."

"Who wants more?" asked Sakura as she passed out the plates of food. Squeals of delight could be heard from in the yard as the parents watched their kids run around. It was a good thing Sakura had moved in with Sasuke at the Uchiha compound, there was a lot more room for all the kids.

"Me!" Naruto raised his hand before coming up to grab his third helping. "That last mission has me starved."

Sakura shook her head as Sasuke came up from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist and said to Naruto, "Doesn't Hinata feed you at home?"

Naruto grinned as he took a seat next to his wife and wrapped his arm around her, digging into his food with his free hand.

"So, Naruto, would you tell us what you called us all here for? I'm dying to know," Ino wined.

"She's not kidding, either," Choji explained. "She's been driving me nuts, trying to get me to tell her, and I don't know what it is!"

Sakura chuckled. That was just like Ino.

"Well, as you know, Grandma Tsunade is getting a little old. She wrote up a will about a week ago, and in that will…" Naruto paused for a dramatic effect. "She announced me as her successor!"

"Oh, Naruto, that's wonderful!" Sakura squealed as she jumped on him to hug him. "This has been your dream since you were a kid. I'm so proud of you! I can't believe you made it!" Sakura cried.

"He's been working so hard, I wasn't surprised," Hinata beamed with pride.

"Oh, I bet Hiro is just so proud of his dad!" Tenten said. "He's been talking about that's what he wants to be when he grows up, a Hokage."

"He's got the potential. He's been hanging out with me more than he has with Naruto, so chances are, he'll make it," Sasuke teased.

"Hey," Naruto shot him a glare, though a playful one.

"And to add to the excitement, Hinata just found out she's pregnant," Sakura added. As Hinata's doctor, Sakura was the first to find out, even Naruto didn't know, but she couldn't hold it in any longer. Hinata blushed a fierce red as everyone congratulated her and Naruto while Naruto just sat there and stared at his wife, unable to move. Once he found his composure, he leaned in and kissed Hinata passionately, sending her face to redden even more.

"Well, as long as we are all sharing good news, Neji was promoted in the ANBU rank. Now, he's first in command!" Tenten exclaimed excitedly. Neji beamed as everyone clapped him on the back.

"Ya, well Gaara is finally marrying someone!" Temari cut in. "She's a woman from a very prestigious clan. They are to be wed in six months!"

"No way!" Choji said. "Gaara? He has a heart?"

Temari punched him in the shoulder. "His fiancé is pregnant too!"

"Wow, that's great!" Kiba nodded. "But, speaking of pregnancies, I just found out Kim's pregnant too!" Kiba had married the girl from his work a few years back, a year after Sasuke and Sakura's wedding.

"Oh, we're so happy for you guys. Too bad she couldn't make it," Sakura smiled. "And, I have my own news. I'm pregnant again!"

"What?" Sasuke's head snapped to his wife's so fast he had whiplash. Sakura had not shared this piece of information with him. "How long have you known?"

"About a week. I'm three months along," Sakura replied sheepishly. She didn't know how she had been able to keep it a secret for so long. But, she was happy and proud.

"Anyone else have something they want to share?" asked Naruto asked.

Everyone laughed.

"You know, our lives may not have been easy, but it sure turned out great, didn't it?" Sakura said absently.

"What do you mean?" asked Ino.

"Well, think about it. We all had our ups and downs. You know. How I hated Sasuke for so long, and now we are happily married with two kids and one on the way. I know you, Ino, didn't exactly get butterflies in your stomach when you saw Choji before we graduated. Hinata's shyness and Naruto's obliviousness prevented them from being together for so long. Neji's pride was so big, he couldn't see around it to Tenten. Kiba was sort of a loner, and Shikamaru was just too lazy to care about anything. Whereas now, everyone is happily settled down with the perfect life."

Everyone nodded.

Sasuke wrapped his arms around Sakura and squeezed her shoulders gently, kissing her lightly on her forehead, taking in the strawberry scent from her shampoo. Everyone seemed to cling to their spouses as they thought about what Sakura had just said.

Just then, all the kids ran up and jumped on their parents' laps. Kiba got up, disappeared into the house, and reappeared with Sakura's new camera. Setting the timer, he ran into group before the picture was taken.

He glanced at the image displayed on the screen. "I know what we can call our lives," Kiba said.

"What's that?"

"A fairy tale."

"With a happy ending."

THE END!!!!!!!!!

Oh, the end. I'm sad, for I really enjoyed writing this story. I just hope you all enjoyed reading it. Please review, and I hope you read my other stories. (Thanks for the Memories is my current favorite, that and Reality Bites!) Anyways, check you all later.

100 Reviews! Please review so that I know you all like or dislike it.


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